MILFORD, Mass., March 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that Nezam H. Afdhal, M.D. has joined the company as Chair of our Clinical Advisory Board and a member of our Scientific Advisory Board.  Dr. Afdhal is a recognized thought leader in the treatment of hepatitis and the development of new antiviral therapies for the treatment of Hepatitis B and C infection.

Douglas Jensen, CEO, Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals, stated, "We are very pleased that we will have the expert guidance of Dr. Afdhal at an exciting time when Spring Bank's flagship program, SB 9200, is preparing to enter human clinical trials for the treatment of Hepatitis.  Dr. Afdhal brings more than 30 years of scientific and clinical research experience to Spring Bank.  Dr. Afdhal will help us maximize the impact of our development plans for SB 9200."

Dr. Afdhal is currently Chief of Hepatology and Director of the Liver Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Associate Professor of Medicine at the Harvard Medical School. Dr. Afdhal has received extensive funding in the area of HCV for preclinical and clinical development and has been involved in the development of many of the leading HCV candidates currently in the clinical pipeline.

Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals is an IND-stage drug discovery company. We are developing a pipeline of products representing a new class of pharmaceuticals we call small molecule nucleic acid hybrids "SMNH" with a wide range of applications, including SB9200, a potential breakthrough drug for Hepatitis B and C. For further information see www.springbankpharm.com.

SOURCE Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals, Inc.