Seragon Pharmaceuticals Appoints N. Anthony Coles, M.D. to Board of Directors

SAN DIEGO, March 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Seragon Pharmaceuticals Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of drugs for hormone-driven cancers, today announced the appointment of N. Anthony Coles (Tony), M.D. to the company's Board of Directors. Dr. Coles brings nearly 30 years of experience in the healthcare, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Most recently, Dr. Coles served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Onyx Pharmaceuticals, a global biopharmaceutical company that was acquired by Amgen in October 2013.

"Tony is an incredibly accomplished leader in the biopharmaceutical industry with extensive experience across a diverse range of areas," said Richard Heyman, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Seragon.  "He will be an invaluable member of our Board, and we welcome his insights and guidance as we continue the advancement of our programs addressing estrogen receptor dependent cancers, including breast cancer, and build upon the strong scientific foundation of Seragon."

"Seragon's selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) platform offers a promising approach in the treatment of early and late-stage breast cancer and, potentially, other hormone-driven cancers.  These exciting new therapies may help address the resistance to treatment commonly observed with the drugs used today to treat estrogen-driven breast cancers," said Dr. Coles. "I look forward to working with the Seragon team and its Board to further advance the potential for this program and the applications it may have in the treatment of these deadly cancers."

Dr. Coles joined Onyx as President, Chief Executive Officer and a Board member in 2008, and was appointed Chairman of the Board in 2012.  Prior to joining Onyx in 2008, he was President, Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the board of directors of NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Before joining NPS Pharmaceuticals in 2005, Dr. Coles was Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations at Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc., which he joined in 2002. Beginning in 1996, he held a number of executive positions while at Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, including Senior Vice President of Strategy and Policy; Senior Vice President of Marketing and Medical Affairs, Neuroscience/Infectious Diseases/Dermatology; Vice President, Western Area Sales Cardiovascular and Metabolic Business Unit for U.S. Primary Care; and Vice President, Cardiovascular Global Marketing. From 1992 until 1996, Dr. Coles also held a number of positions of increasing responsibility at Merck & Co., Inc., including Vice President of the Hypertension and Heart Failure Business Group.

Dr. Coles completed his cardiology and internal medicine training at Massachusetts General Hospital and was a cardiovascular research fellow at Harvard Medical School. He earned an M.D. degree from Duke University, a master's degree in public health from Harvard University, and an undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Coles is a member of the board of directors of McKesson Corporation. He is Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees for Johns Hopkins University and is a member of the board of trustees for Johns Hopkins Medicine.  Dr. Coles also serves as a member of the board of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation.

About Seragon Pharmaceuticals
Seragon Pharmaceuticals is focused on the development of small-molecule drugs for the treatment of estrogen receptor dependent breast cancer. Seragon Pharmaceuticals' orally active selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs) represent a potential new treatment for progressive metastatic breast cancer that may circumvent the problem of resistance to anti-hormonal therapies.  The company's lead SERD compound, ARN-810, is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical trial in breast cancer patients who have failed first generation anti-hormonal therapies such as tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors. In addition to endocrine-resistant breast cancer, SERD agents also have potential to treat other estrogen dependent cancers such as endometrial and ovarian cancers. Seragon is a privately held company founded in 2013 and headquartered in San Diego, California. For more information, visit www.seragonpharm.com.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140324/SF88926LOGO

SOURCE Seragon Pharmaceuticals