Elevar Therapeutics Announces Expansion of Senior Leadership Team with Key Appointments in Clinical and Finance Functions

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Jan 18, 2022, 10:00 ET

SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Elevar Therapeutics, Inc. ("Elevar"), a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company built on the promise of elevating treatment experiences and outcomes for patients who have limited or inadequate therapeutic options, today announced the extension of its senior leadership team with the appointments of Jeff Heckman as Vice President of Project Management, Heidi Krenz, M.D. as Vice President of Drug Safety and Pharmacovigilance, Amit Pande, M.D., as Vice President of Clinical Development, and Wade Smith as Vice President of Finance. These appointments strengthen the Company's clinical and finance functions.

"The executive leadership team and I are thrilled to welcome this accomplished group of senior leaders to Elevar. They have proven track records of success within the life sciences industry in the areas of clinical development, drug safety, project management, and finance, which will be instrumental in advancing our pipeline programs and enhancing our ability to bring transformative medicines to patients who have limited or inadequate therapeutic options," said Kate McKinley, Chief Executive Officer of Elevar Therapeutics. "We look forward to working with Jeff, Heidi, Amit, and Wade along with the rest of our talented senior management team as we prepare for our next stage of growth."

Jeff Heckman, Vice President of Project Management, is an experienced operations and program management leader with more than 20 years of demonstrated success developing teams and executing biotechnology programs. In this role, Jeff will direct global strategic plan development and cross-functional initiatives that drive clinical and regulatory progress for Elevar's rapidly advancing pipeline. Most recently, he was an independent consultant working with Elevar and other life science companies, providing guidance on critical issues such as global regulatory submission strategies, alliance management, clinical operations, and corporate governance. Jeff received a B.A. in Biology from the University of Delaware and his M.B.A. from West Chester University of Pennsylvania.
Heidi Krenz, M.D., Vice President of Drug Safety and Pharmacovigilance, brings more than 20 years of extensive experience in pharmacovigilance with in-depth knowledge of all aspects of clinical drug safety, pharmacovigilance practices, and global safety regulations. In her new role, Heidi will leverage her expertise to ensure the overall integrity of safety and medical assessments for Elevar's therapeutics. Prior to joining Elevar, she held several strategic leadership positions with biopharmaceutical companies such as Kadmon, Tesaro, and Novartis. She received a B.A. in Chemistry from Rutgers University and her M.D. degree from Rutgers Medical School. She completed her general surgery residency at St. Mary's Hospital, Yale University.
Amit Pande, M.D., Vice President of Clinical Development, is an accomplished clinical leader with more than 15 years of biopharmaceutical industry experience leading drug development activities supporting investigational and marketed oncology and rare disease products. In this role, he will oversee the strategy and execution of Elevar's clinical development programs. Amit has held various leadership positions within the pharmaceutical industry, including at Daiichi-Sankyo, Teva, Incyte, PTC Therapeutics, and recently as Vice President of Clinical Development at QED Therapeutics. He holds a M.S. in Natural & Biomedical Sciences from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He earned his M.D. and completed his residency at Nagpur University, Maharashtra, India.
Wade Smith, Vice President of Finance, brings 20 years of global financial, operations, and commercial experience serving public and private companies in a variety of industries. In this role, he will lead Elevar's financial and accounting operations and be instrumental in guiding Elevar's strategic financial evolution. Prior to joining Elevar, Wade served at Viatris (formerly Mylan Pharmaceuticals) where he spent nine years in various roles of increasing responsibility, most recently as Head of Institutional Commercial/Finance where he led the sales, customer, product, and contracting strategy for a global division responsible for more than 100 new products. Prior to Viatris, he guided the strategic finance, M&A, and business development activities of both public and private companies in turnaround and growth modes. Wade received his B.S. in Business Administration and Accounting from California University of Pennsylvania. He is a registered CPA in the state of Pennsylvania and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

About Elevar Therapeutics
Elevar Therapeutics is a rapidly growing, fully integrated biopharmaceutical company built on the promise of elevating treatment experiences and outcomes for patients who have limited or inadequate therapeutic options. Elevar's lead proprietary drug candidates include rivoceranib (apatinib) and Apealea^® (paclitaxel micellar). Rivoceranib, under the name apatinib in China, was developed by Hengrui in China and approved in China as a single agent for the treatment of gastric cancer in 2014 and second-line advanced HCC in 2020. It has been granted Orphan Drug designation in the U.S., Europe, and South Korea and has been clinically tested in over 1,000 patients worldwide in numerous cancer indications. Apealea^® (paclitaxel micellar) is a non-Cremophor EL based formulation of paclitaxel that received marketing authorization by the European Commission in November 2018, making it Europe's first non-Cremophor EL formulation of paclitaxel approved for use in ovarian cancer. Elevar Therapeutics has offices in Utah, California, Ireland, and South Korea. Additional information is available at www.elevartherapeutics.com/.