ContraVir Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of targeted antiviral therapies, announced the expansion of its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) with internationally recognized hepatitis B (HBV) experts that add significant scientific, clinical and industry expertise. Current SAB member Carol L. Brosgart, M.D., has been appointed Chair of the SAB in support of ContraVir's development of a potentially curative therapy for HBV.
"Curing hepatitis B is at the forefront of ContraVir's research and business strategy," stated John Sullivan-Bolyai, M.D., M.P.H., chief medical officer of ContraVir. "Aligning the SAB with that goal is another important step toward achieving this vision. The mechanisms of action of our two novel HBV drugs, CMX157 and CRV431, are distinct and complementary to each other. As next-generation derivatives of proven antiviral compounds, each has demonstrated potentially best-in-class potency in vitro. This higher potency could reduce the clinical doses, potentially enhancing safety. At the same time, we could maximize the opportunity to use CMX157 and CRV431 in combination with each other and/or additional molecules to potentially create the curative anti-HBV regimen we are all seeking."
Dr. Brosgart, Clinical Professor of Medicine, Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), has had a distinguished career in clinical virology research and care, in academia, industry, and public health. She has held a number of senior management positions in the medical and biotechnology community including chief medical officer and senior vice president at Alios BioPharma, a number of senior management positions at Gilead Sciences Inc., including VP, clinical research during which time she oversaw the US and worldwide development and approval of Viread and Hepsera and VP, public health and policy during which time she led domestic and global efforts to increase testing and linkage to care (TLC) for HIV and viral hepatitis B and C and to improve public health policy in these areas, and Senior vice president and chief medical officer at Children's Hospital & Research Center in Oakland, California.
She has also served as a viral hepatitis advisor to both the CDC and DHSS in several roles including senior advisor on Science and Policy to the Division of Viral Hepatitis, member of CHAC (CDC/HRSA Advisory Committee on HIV, Viral Hepatitis and STD Prevention and Treatment), member of the OMH Viral Hepatitis Task Force and the PCORI Hepatitis Task Force. Furthermore, she served on the IDSA Public Policy Committee and the AASLD Clinical and Public Policy Committee.
In addition to Dr. Brosgart, new appointees to the SAB include:
Jordan Feld, M.D., M.P.H., internationally recognized clinical and laboratory researcher in viral hepatitis at the University of Toronto, Toronto General Hospital Liver Center, University Health Network and McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health in Toronto, Canada;
Phillippe Gallay, Ph.D., accomplished researcher, cyclophilin expert, internationally recognized for his work on examining the molecular basis of HBV, HIV and HCV pathogenesis, Professor at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California.
Jörg Petersen, M.D., Ph.D., accomplished viral hepatitis researcher, author and editor of national and international treatment guidelines for HBV, Professor, Head of the Liver Unit and clinical researcher focused on viral hepatitis at IFI Institute at the Asklepios Klinik St. Georg Hamburg at University of Hamburg in Hamburg, Germany; and
Fabien Zoulim, M.D., Ph.D., accomplished researcher, internationally recognized for his leadership and major contributions to bridging basic scientific and clinical research in viral hepatitis, Professor of Medicine at Lyon University, Head of Hepatology Department at Hospices Civils de Lyon and Head of Viral Hepatitis Team at Cancer Research Center of Lyon in Lyon, France;
Nathaniel Katz, M.D. will remain as an advisor to the company in support of ContraVir's ongoing phase 3 study of FV-100 for shingles and the debilitating shingles-associated pain known as post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN).