Aratana Therapeutics Establishes New York City Office and Announces Appointment of Executive Director of Business Development

KANSAS CITY, Kan., Jan. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Kansas City, KS-based Aratana Therapeutics, an animal health company developing innovative medicines for companion animals, announced today that it has established a New York City office and appointed Michele A. Gallucci, MBA, as the company's executive director of business development.

The New York office, in midtown Manhattan, serves as the company's east coast base of operations. Aratana Therapeutics is headquartered in Kansas City, KS.

Ms. Gallucci, who holds a BA in Economics from the University of Massachusetts and an MBA in Finance and Health Care Management from the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania, is based in the New York office. Prior to joining Aratana Therapeutics, Ms. Gallucci held executive-level positions in business development at Medco Health Services, Inc., the National Kidney Registry, Pfizer Inc., and Schering-Plough Corporation. She has extensive experience developing new business opportunities and executing through acquisitions, build strategies, and strategic partnerships/alliances.

"These are two important strategic moves," said CEO Dr. Linda Rhodes. "Establishing a New York office and hiring a business development professional of Michele Gallucci's caliber demonstrate the continuing growth of Aratana Therapeutics and illustrate the robust nature of our business model. Having an office convenient to the New York financial and pharmaceutical industries gives us additional access to key resources that can play significant roles in helping Aratana fulfill our promise to take human health pharmaceuticals and develop them into innovative medicines for companion animals."

About Aratana Therapeutics
Aratana Therapeutics is an animal health drug development company uniquely positioned to deliver high-quality, new medicines for unmet needs in animal health. Aratana licenses and develops proprietary, patent-protected compounds acquired from human pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, then out-licenses to or partners with major animal health companies for commercialization. For more information, please visit www.aratanatherapeutics.com.

CONTACT: David K. Rosen, DVM
President and COO
Aratana Therapeutics, Inc.
913-951-2130
[email protected] 

SOURCE Aratana Therapeutics