Urica Therapeutics, Inc Appoints Seasoned Biotech Executive Jay D. Kranzler, M.D., Ph.D., as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
October 03, 2022 at 08:00 am EDT
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Urica Therapeutics, Inc., a Fortress Biotech, Inc. subsidiary company announced the appointments of Jay D. Kranzler, M.D., Ph.D., as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and Vibeke Strand, M.D., MACR, FACP, Adjunct Clinical Professor, Division of Immunology/Rheumatology, Stanford University, to its Board of Directors. Dr. Kranzler has been a Founder, Chief Executive Officer, Board Member and Advisor to leading life science companies for over 30 years. Dr. Kranzler joins Urica to guide and expedite the development of its lead product candidate, dotinurad, a potential best-in-class urate transporter (URAT1) inhibitor that is currently in Phase 1 clinical trials and positioned for the treatment of gout in the United States. Dotinurad (URECE® tablet in Japan) was approved in Japan in 2020 as a once-daily oral therapy for gout and hyperuricemia. Dotinurad was efficacious and well-tolerated in more than 500 Japanese patients treated for up to 58 weeks in Phase 3 clinical trials. Dr. Kranzler has served in operational and consulting capacities for multiple large pharmaceutical companies, small biotechnology companies, investment banks and investors. He has developed drugs, medical devices and diagnostics, and is an inventor on multiple key patents. Dr. Kranzler serves as an Adjunct Professor at New York University Stern School of Business and at the New York University Langone School of Medicine. Previously, Dr. Kranzler was Vice President and Global Head of External R&D Innovation and Worldwide R&D Strategic Investments at Pfizer. His entrepreneurial career includes his role as Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cypress Bioscience, where he was credited for the development of Savella (milnacipran) for the treatment of fibromyalgia. He also served as Chief Executive Officer of Cytel Corporation and was a Founder of Perception Neuroscience, which was acquired by ATAI Life Sciences. Dr. Kranzler started his career at McKinsey & Company where he was a key member of the team that established the firm's pharmaceutical practice. He is currently a Board Member of Avenue Therapeutics, Baergic Bio, Pastorus, Navitas and ImmunoBrain Checkpoint. Dr. Kranzler graduated from Yale University School of Medicine with M.D. and Ph.D. degrees with a focus in psychopharmacology.
Dr. Vibeke Strand has served as an adjunct clinical professor in the Division of Immunology and Rheumatology at Stanford University School of Medicine since 1993. For several decades, she has led a consulting practice offering clinical research and regulatory strategy expertise to pharmaceutical and biotech with a focus on translating basic research into rational design of randomized controlled trials, evaluation of their results and defense of novel products in rheumatology to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency. She has participated in the successful development of DMARDs, biologics and JAK inhibitors in an array of rheumatoid conditions and biosimilars. Dr. Strand has authored more than 500 publications, is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, Master of the American College of Rheumatology and member of the Cosmos Club. She received her B.A. from Swarthmore College and her M.D. from University of California San Francisco School of Medicine.
Fortress Biotech, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on acquiring and advancing assets. The Company has seven marketed prescription pharmaceutical products and over 25 programs in development at the Company, at its majority-owned and majority-controlled partners and subsidiaries and at partners and subsidiaries it founded and in which it holds significant minority ownership positions. Such product candidates span six market areas, including oncology, rare diseases and gene therapy. Its dermatology products include Qbrexza, Accutane, Amzeeq, Zilxi, Targadox, Exelderm and Luxamend. Its late stage product candidates include Cosibelimab (anti-PD-L1 antibody), DFD-29 (modified release oral minocycline for the treatment of rosacea), CUTX-101 (copper histidinate injection for Menkes disease), IV Tramadol, Olafertinib (also known as CK-101, EGFR inhibitor for EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC), CAEL-101 (monoclonal antibody for AL amyloidosis) and Triplex (cytomegalovirus (CMV) vaccine).