Oncorus®, Inc. Appoints Biotech Industry Veteran Cyrus D. Mozayeni, M.D., as President and Chief Business Officer

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Oncorus^®, Inc., a new immuno-oncology company developing a next-generation immunotherapy platform of oncolytic viruses for the treatment of several tumor types including highly malignant and aggressive cancers such as glioblastoma multiforme, today announced the appointment of Cyrus D. Mozayeni, M.D., as President and Chief Business Officer. Dr. Mozayeni will provide strategic leadership for the company, as well as have responsibility for corporate development, finance, legal, human resources and business operations. Dr. Mozayeni will report to Mitchell H. Finer, Ph.D., Oncorus' Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer.

"For nearly two decades, Cyrus has built an impressive performance history of strategic business development accomplishments," said Dr. Finer. "With his wealth of experience and proven track record, Cyrus will be a valuable asset and play a critical role as we fulfill our mission to develop medicines for patients with deadly cancers, for which limited treatment options exist, based on our next-generation immunotherapy platform. I could not be more pleased about his appointment to this vital role at this important time."

"I am honored to take on this role at Oncorus during this exciting time, and look forward to partnering with Mitch, the Board and our talented team, to deliver on our innovative platform and vision," said Dr. Mozayeni.

Prior to joining Oncorus, Dr. Mozayeni served as Vice President and global head of business development and alliance management at bluebird bio, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLUE). During his tenure at bluebird, he helped develop the company's corporate development strategy, and led several transactions to build the company's technology platform and product portfolio. Ultimately his efforts led to a multi-year collaboration with Celgene Corporation, culminating in a clinical-stage CAR T-cell program.  Cyrus also successfully managed the identification and development of key internal intellectual property and contributed to bluebird's successful Initial Public Offering in 2013. In addition to his extensive business development experience, Dr. Mozayeni has held key leadership roles in preclinical and clinical development, business operations, strategic planning, intellectual property and legal functions.

Dr. Mozayeni received his B.S. in neuroscience from Brown University, his M.D. from the University of Virginia School of Medicine and his MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. He is a licensed physician, and a Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine.

About Oncorus, Inc.
Oncorus, Inc. is an early-stage biotechnology company developing a portfolio of next-generation immunotherapy products, leveraging its proprietary oncolytic viruses platform, to treat several types of cancer, including highly malignant and aggressive cancers, based upon the work of renowned scientists Joseph Glorioso III, Ph.D., and Paola Grandi, Ph.D., from the University of Pittsburgh. A leader in corporate philanthropy, Oncorus has taken a pledge to donate a portion of product sales to fund promising cancer research and to support cancer care in the developing world. The company is located in Kendall Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Visit www.oncorus.com for more information.

SOURCE Oncorus, Inc.