ProKidney Appoints Libbie Parker McKenzie, MD, FASN as Chief Medical Officer
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., April 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ProKidney LP (ProKidney), a leading clinical-stage cellular therapeutics company focused on the treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and prevention of both end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and the need for dialysis, today announced the appointment of Libbie Parker McKenzie, MD, FASN as Chief Medical Officer.
“On behalf of our entire team, I am excited to welcome Libbie to ProKidney. Her deep clinical, pharmacovigilance and regulatory affairs expertise will be instrumental to our continued success as we work to advance the development of our lead program, REACT®,” said Tim Bertram, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of ProKidney. “In addition to her industry experience, Libbie was a practicing nephrologist and internal medicine physician for over a decade, and as a result is intimately familiar with the challenges faced by patients undergoing dialysis. I look forward to working closely with Libbie to optimize our ongoing clinical studies of REACT®, including the recently-initiated Phase 3 trial.”
Dr. McKenzie joins ProKidney from IQVIA / Quintiles, where she held roles of increasing responsibility since 2007. Most recently, she served as Vice President, Medical, Global Head of Lifecycle Safety Project Leadership and Strategic Solutions. Prior to joining IQVIA / Quintiles, she was Medical Director and Medical Safety Officer at Ashfield / Drug Safety Alliance from 2005-2007. In addition to her corporate roles, Dr. McKenzie was Dialysis Unit Medical Director at NaphCare in Raleigh, NC, from 2006-2020. She holds a B.S. in Biology and Psychology from Duke University and an M.D. from Duke University School of Medicine. She completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in nephrology at Duke University Medical Center. Dr. McKenzie is a Fellow of the American Society of Nephrology and an Associate of the American College of Physicians.
“Having recently initiated its first REACT® Phase 3 study, ProKidney is at an important point in its evolution as a company and I am proud to be joining this world-class leadership team,” added Dr. McKenzie. “I look forward to helping lead the ongoing clinical development of REACT® as we evaluate its potential to improve the lives of patients with Chronic Kidney Disease.”
About ProKidney
ProKidney, a pioneer in the treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) through innovations in cellular therapy, was founded in 2015 after a decade of research. ProKidney’s lead product candidate, REACT® (Renal Autologous Cell Therapy), is a first-of-its-kind, patented disease-modifying autologous cellular therapy with the potential not only to slow and stabilize the progression of CKD, but in some cases drive meaningful improvement in kidney function. REACT® has received Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation, as well as FDA and EMA guidance, supporting the Phase 3 clinical program that launched on schedule in January 2022. On January 18, 2022, ProKidney announced that it would become a publicly traded company via a business combination with Social Capital Suvretta Holdings Corp. III (Nasdaq: DNAC). For more information, visit www.prokidney.com.
Additional Information and Where to Find It
In connection with the proposed transaction between Social Capital Suvretta Holdings Corp. III (“SCS”) and ProKidney, SCS has filed a preliminary proxy statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and intends to file a definitive proxy statement with the SEC. SHAREHOLDERS OF SCS ARE ADVISED TO READ THE PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT, AS AMENDED FROM TIME TO TIME, THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AND ALL OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR THAT WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. HOWEVER, THESE DOCUMENTS WILL NOT CONTAIN ALL THE INFORMATION THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED CONCERNING THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. THEY ARE ALSO NOT INTENDED TO FORM THE BASIS OF ANY INVESTMENT DECISION OR ANY OTHER DECISION IN RESPECT OF THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. When available, the definitive proxy statement will be mailed to the shareholders of SCS as of a record date to be established for voting on the proposed transaction. Shareholders will also be able to obtain copies of the preliminary proxy statement, the definitive proxy statement and other documents filed with the SEC that will be incorporated by reference therein, without charge, once available, at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
The documents filed by SCS with the SEC also may be obtained free of charge at SCS’s website at https://socialcapitalsuvrettaholdings.com/dnac or upon written request to 2850 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway, Suite 200, Henderson, NV 89052.
Participants in the Solicitation
SCS and ProKidney and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from SCS’s shareholders in connection with the proposed transaction. A list of the names of such directors and executive officers and information regarding their interests in the proposed transaction between ProKidney and SCS will be contained in the definitive proxy statement when available. You may obtain free copies of these documents as described in the preceding paragraph.
No Offer or Solicitation
This communication shall not constitute a solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the proposed transaction. This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any states or jurisdictions in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended or an exemption therefrom.
Forward-Looking Statements
This communication may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including with respect to the proposed transaction between ProKidney and SCS and the timing of enrollment of ProKidney’s clinical trials, availability of clinical data and obtainment of regulatory approvals. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this communication, including but not limited to: (i) the risk that the proposed transaction may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, which may adversely affect the price of SCS’s securities, (ii) the risk that the proposed transaction may not be completed by SCS’s business combination deadline and the potential failure to obtain an extension of the business combination deadline if sought by SCS, (iii) the failure to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the proposed transaction, including the adoption of the definitive agreement related to the business combination between SCS and ProKidney (the “Business Combination Agreement”) by the shareholders of SCS and the satisfaction of the minimum cash condition, (iv) the lack of a third-party valuation in determining whether or not to pursue the proposed transaction, (v) the inability to complete the private placement entered into in connection with the transaction, (vi) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the Business Combination Agreement, (vii) the effect of the announcement or pendency of the transaction on ProKidney’s business relationships, operating results, and business generally, (viii) risks that the proposed transaction disrupts current plans and operations of ProKidney and potential difficulties in ProKidney employee retention as a result of the transaction, (ix) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against ProKidney or against SCS related to the Business Combination Agreement or the proposed transaction, (x) the ability to maintain the listing of SCS’s securities on a national securities exchange, (xi) the price of SCS’s securities may be volatile due to a variety of factors, including changes in the competitive and highly regulated industries in which SCS plans to operate or ProKidney operates, variations in operating performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting SCS’s or ProKidney’s business, and changes in the combined capital structure, (xii) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations after the completion of the proposed transaction, and identify and realize additional opportunities, (xiii) the risk of downturns and a changing regulatory landscape in the highly competitive biotechnology industry, and (xiv) uncertainties inherent in cell therapy research and development, including the actual time it takes to initiate and complete clinical studies and the timing and content of decisions made by regulatory authorities. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of SCS’s preliminary proxy statement on Schedule 14A (File No. 001-40560), as amended from time to time, filed with the SEC, SCS’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 filed with the SEC on March 28, 2022, the definitive proxy statement of SCS, when available, including those under “Risk Factors” therein and other documents filed by SCS from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and ProKidney and SCS assume no obligation and do not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Neither ProKidney nor SCS gives any assurance that either ProKidney or SCS, or the combined company, will achieve its expectations.
Contact:
Investors:
Lee Roth
Burns McClellan
lroth@burnsmc.com
+1 (212) 300-8331
