LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 20, 2013--
Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. (NASDAQ: SNTA) today announced the
appointment of Steven Bernitz as Senior Vice President, Corporate
Development. Mr. Bernitz brings over 20 years' experience in corporate
strategy, business leadership and transactional experience in life
sciences.
Prior to Synta, Mr. Bernitz was a General Partner and Head of the
BioPharma Practice at Extera Partners, a business development advisory
firm. At Extera, he led numerous business development and strategy
initiatives for development stage companies and their investors,
principally in oncology, autoimmune and orphan diseases.
Prior to joining Extera in 2010, Mr. Bernitz was Chief Business Officer
at Concert Pharmaceuticals where he led Concert’s $1 billion deal with
GlaxoSmithKline, and prior to Concert he was Senior Vice President,
Business and Product Development at Coley Pharmaceutical Group, where he
led numerous transactions including Coley’s $600 million oncology deal
with Pfizer. Mr. Bernitz has also been CEO of Histogenics and
Organogenesis, both cell therapy companies, and earlier in his career
was with Merck Vaccines and McKinsey & Co.
“Steve has tremendous deal experience, as is clear from his track
record, which will be valuable in realizing the potential of both our
ganetespib and HDC programs,” said Safi Bahcall, President and CEO,
Synta. “His wealth of diverse business experiences and insights make him
an excellent addition to our executive team, as we manage a growing
pipeline and an increasing number of important strategic and operational
choices.”
“Synta has the potential to make a tremendous difference in the lives of
cancer patients,” said Mr. Bernitz. “Both ganetespib and the HDC
platform represent innovative new treatment approaches that can
transform standard of care. I am excited to join the team and help
achieve these ambitious goals.”
Mr. Bernitz earned his MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of
Management at Northwestern University where he was an Austin Scholar,
and his B.S. summa cum laude from Tufts University where he was
elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
About Synta Pharmaceuticals
Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on
discovering, developing, and commercializing small molecule drugs to
extend and enhance the lives of patients with severe medical conditions,
including cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases. Synta has a unique
chemical compound library, an integrated discovery engine, and a diverse
pipeline of clinical- and preclinical-stage drug candidates with
distinct mechanisms of action and novel chemical structures. All Synta
drug candidates were invented by Synta scientists using our compound
library and discovery capabilities. For more information, please visit www.syntapharma.com
Source: Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp.
Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp.
Mindy Kohl, 781-541-7213
mkohl@syntapharma.com
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