CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 19, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spero Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq:SPRO), a multi-asset
clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on identifying, developing and commercializing treatments in high unmet need areas
involving multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacterial infections and rare diseases, today announced the appointment of Cynthia Smith to
its Board of Directors, effective as of today. Ms. Smith has more than 20 years of corporate leadership experience within the
healthcare sector, most recently serving as Chief Commercial Officer and a member of the executive team of ZS Pharma where she
helped lead the company from development to commercialization through its acquisition by AstraZeneca.
“We are pleased to welcome Cynthia to our Board of Directors,” said Ankit Mahadevia, M.D., Chief Executive
Officer of Spero Therapeutics. “Cynthia’s broad corporate leadership and commercialization experience will be an invaluable
asset to Spero as SPR994 progresses through its planned Phase 3 trial toward commercialization. In our continued effort to
bring SPR994 to patients, we are looking forward to leveraging Cynthia’s experience building commercial infrastructure as well as
benefiting from her market access and policy experience.”
Prior to joining ZS Pharma, Ms. Smith served as Vice President, Market Access and Commercial Development at
Affymax from 2008 to 2013. She also held various senior leadership positions in market access, corporate strategy, government
relations and external affairs at Merck from 2000 to 2008. Before transitioning to the biopharmaceutical industry, Ms. Smith
served as a healthcare policy analyst in the White House Office of Management and Budget from 1995 to 2000.
“This is an exciting time for Spero with its lead drug, SPR994, entering a Phase 3 trial and two additional
promising drug candidates, SPR720 and SPR206, currently in clinical trials,” Ms. Smith said. “I’m looking forward to working with
the Board and the management team to lay the groundwork ahead of a possible commercial launch for SPR994 and contributing to the
development strategy of the pipeline.”
Ms. Smith currently serves on the boards of Dicerna Pharmaceuticals and Akebia Therapeutics, and previously
served on the board of Nivalis Therapeutics from 2016 to 2017. She earned her M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the
University of Pennsylvania, and a M.S. in public policy from the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. Ms. Smith
received a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
About Spero
Spero Therapeutics, Inc. is a multi-asset, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on identifying,
developing and commercializing novel treatments for multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections and rare diseases.
Spero’s lead product candidate, SPR994, is designed to be the first oral carbapenem-class antibiotic for use in
adults to treat MDR Gram-negative infections. Spero has begun start-up activities for the ADAPT-PO Phase 3 clinical trial of
SPR994 for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections and anticipates opening trial sites to support study enrollment
around the end of March 2019.
Spero is also advancing SPR720, its novel oral therapy product candidate designed for the treatment of
non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections. In January 2019, Spero initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial of SPR720 in
healthy subjects and expects top-line data from this trial in the second half of 2019.
Spero also has a platform technology known as its Potentiator Platform that it believes will enable it to
develop drugs that will expand the spectrum and potency of existing antibiotics, including formerly inactive antibiotics, against
Gram-negative bacteria. Spero’s lead product candidates generated from its Potentiator Platform are two IV-administered agents,
SPR741 and SPR206, designed to treat MDR Gram-negative infections in the hospital setting. In December 2018, Spero initiated a
Phase 1 clinical trial of SPR206 in healthy subjects and expects top-line data from this trial in the second half of 2019.
For more information, visit https://sperotherapeutics.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements include, but are not limited to,
statements about Spero’s expectation that positive results from a single pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of SPR994 and ancillary
supportive studies to be conducted in parallel with the planned Phase 3 trial will support the approval of SPR994; the initiation,
timing, progress and results of Spero’s preclinical studies and clinical trials and its research and development programs,
including the anticipated timing of the opening of sites to support enrollment into the planned pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of
SPR994; statements regarding management’s assessment of the results of such preclinical studies and clinical trials; the timing of
clinical data, including the availability of pharmacokinetic data from the lead-in cohort in the planned Phase 3 clinical trial of
SPR994 and top-line data from the Phase 1 clinical trial of SPR206 and the Phase 1 clinical trial of SPR720; and Spero’s cash
forecast and anticipated expenses, the sufficiency of its cash resources and the availability of additional non-dilutive funding
from governmental agencies beyond any initially funded awards. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms
such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “aim,” “anticipate,” “could,” “intent,” “target,” “project,” “contemplate,”
“believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. Actual
results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors,
including whether the FDA will accept a single pivotal study for approval of SPR994; whether results obtained in
preclinical studies and clinical trials will be indicative of results obtained in future clinical trials; whether Spero’s product
candidates will advance through the preclinical development and clinical trial process on a timely basis, or at all, taking into
account the effects of possible regulatory delays, slower than anticipated patient enrollment, manufacturing challenges, clinical
trial design and clinical outcomes; whether the results of such trials will warrant submission for approval from the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration or equivalent foreign regulatory agencies; whether Spero’s cash resources will be sufficient to fund
its continuing operations for the periods and/or trials anticipated; and other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” set forth in
filings that Spero periodically makes with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements included in
this press release represent Spero’s views as of the date of this press release. Spero anticipates that subsequent events and
developments will cause its views to change. However, while Spero may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some
point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon
as representing Spero’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.
Spero Investor and Media Contact:
Sharon Klahre
Director, Investor Relations
857-242-1547
IR@sperotherapeutics.com
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