MALVERN, PA — Venatorx Pharmaceuticals recently announced significant changes to its executive leadership team. Manos Perros, PhD, has been appointed to the Board of Directors as Executive Chairman. Dr. Perros is a seasoned pharmaceutical and biotech executive with over 25 years of experience in life sciences research and development.
Previously, Dr. Perros served as Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Entasis Therapeutics. Under his leadership, Entasis became a leader in the antimicrobial space, culminating in its acquisition by Innoviva in 2022. During his tenure at Entasis, Dr. Perros oversaw the development of Xacduro, the first targeted treatment for Acinetobacter baumannii pneumonia approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. His career also includes senior roles at AstraZeneca, where he led infection research, and at Pfizer, where he spearheaded the R&D program that resulted in the approval of Selzentry, a pioneering HIV treatment.
Dr. Perros’s appointment comes after Christopher J. Burns, Ph.D., resigned as Chief Executive Officer and Director of Venatorx Pharmaceuticals. Tomas J. Heyman has also stepped down as Non-Executive Chairman of the Board.
“On behalf of the entire company, I would like to personally thank Chris for his dedication and tireless perseverance in leading Venatorx for over 14 years,” Dr. Perros said. “The Board of Directors sincerely appreciates his contributions and the leadership that has guided the company toward achieving its mission.”
Dr. Perros expressed enthusiasm about his new role and the potential of Venatorx’s lead candidate, cefepime-taniborbactam. “I am delighted to join Venatorx Pharmaceuticals and to help advance cefepime-taniborbactam through regulatory review and toward FDA approval. As recent Phase III data in The New England Journal of Medicine established, cefepime-taniborbactam met the primary noninferiority efficacy endpoint and demonstrated statistical superiority to meropenem for treating complicated urinary tract infections, including acute pyelonephritis, while having a similar safety profile. This therapy has enormous potential and may significantly improve the standard of care, supporting global efforts to combat antibiotic-resistant infections.”
These leadership changes signal a new phase for Venatorx Pharmaceuticals as it continues to push forward in the fight against multi-drug resistant bacterial infections.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.