Tarus Therapeutics Expands R&D Team with Appointment of Brian Schwartz, M.D. as Interim Chief Medical Officer and Head of the Scientific Advisory Board

Industry Veteran Brings Deep R&D and Clinical Development Experience to Tarus

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / November 24, 2020 / Tarus Therapeutics Inc., an innovative biotechnology company developing adenosine receptor antagonists for cancer immunotherapy and select non-oncology indications, today announced that Dr. Brian Schwartz, M.D. has joined the company as Acting Chief Medical Officer and Head of the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).

Dr. Schwartz was Chief Medical Officer at ArQule from 2008, and also Head of Research & Development from 2013, until the company’s acquisition by Merck in 2020 for $2.7 billion. Dr. Schwartz has extensive experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Prior to joining ArQule, he was Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, Clinical and Regulatory Affairs, at Ziopharm Oncology where he built and led the clinical, regulatory, and quality assurance departments with responsibilities for the development of new cancer drugs. Prior to Ziopharm, Dr. Schwartz held a number of leadership positions at Bayer Healthcare. At Bayer, Dr. Schwartz was a key physician responsible for the global clinical development of sorafenib (Nexavar®) and led the clinical team through a successful Phase 3 trial in renal cell cancer, leading to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. He has extensive regulatory experience working with the FDA’s Oncology Division, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and numerous other health authorities. Dr. Schwartz has been involved in multiple clinical and regulatory activities, including Phase 4 studies and interactions with the National Cancer Institute and other oncology cooperative groups. Dr. Schwartz received his medical degree from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, practiced medicine, and worked at the University of Toronto prior to his career in industry. Dr. Schwartz serves on the Boards of Mereo Pharma Group Plc, LifeSci Acquisition Corp and Enlivex Therapeutics Ltd. He is also an advisor to the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine and Pontifax Venture Capital.

“With our IND submissions for multiple programs and indications expected in the near term, Tarus is positioned to rapidly expand its focus on clinical development,” said Sushant Kumar, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Tarus Therapeutics. “We are delighted to welcome Dr. Schwartz to Tarus’ s leadership team. Dr. Schwartz’s deep insight and expertise in clinical development of oncology drugs will be invaluable as we execute our clinical strategy,” added Dr. Kumar.

“I am excited to join the Tarus team and look forward to overseeing its research programs and leading the clinical development of multiple programs focused on adenosine receptor antagonism, a promising new area in immuno-oncology,” said Dr. Schwartz.

About Tarus Therapeutics Inc.

Tarus is developing small molecule inhibitors of A2AR, A2BR, and Dual A2AR/A2BR inhibitors for cancer immunotherapy and select non-oncology indications. The Company has the most comprehensive portfolio of adenosine receptor antagonists in development, with both first-in-class and best-in-class programs. More information can be found at www.tarustx.com.

Contact:

Tarus Therapeutics, Inc.
Sushant Kumar, PhD
President & CEO
info@tarustx.com

SOURCE: Tarus Therapeutics

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