EMERYVILLE, Calif., Sept. 22, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:ADMS) today announced the appointment of Michael F. Bigham, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc., to its Board of Directors. Mr. Bigham has broad management experience with over 25 years of senior leadership in the biotechnology industry.
“We welcome Michael to our board and look forward to his contributions as we transition Adamas into an organization with multiple commercial opportunities,” stated Gregory T. Went, Ph.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
“I remain impressed with the unique approach Adamas uses to identify treatment opportunities and its innovative way of developing new medicines,” stated Michael Bigham. The company has generated data showing significant activity in three important CNS diseases, with the potential for new opportunities on the horizon. I am delighted to be joining this dedicated and experienced team at such an exciting juncture in the life of the Company.”
In addition to serving as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Paratek Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company focused on novel antibiotic therapies, Mr. Bigham has had a diverse and successful career spanning executive leadership, finance, and operations. From 2003 to 2015, he served as partner at Abingworth LLP, an international investment group dedicated to life sciences and healthcare. Prior to Abingworth, Mr. Bigham served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Coulter Pharmaceuticals up until the company’s acquisition by Corixa. He was an early employee at Gilead Sciences, where he served in various capacities, including Executive Vice President of Operations and Chief Financial Officer. Before joining Gilead Sciences, Mr. Bigham was a Partner at Hambrecht & Quist, where he served as Co-Head of Healthcare Investment Banking. He currently is a member of the Board of Directors of InMediata and has held several directorships, including Avila Therapeutics, Magellan Biosciences, Portola Pharmaceuticals, Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Avedro, and Valeritas. Mr. Bigham received his B.S. from the University of Virginia and his M.B.A. at Stanford University.
About Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is driven to improve the lives of those affected by chronic disorders of the central nervous system. The company seeks to achieve this by modifying the pharmacokinetic profiles of approved drugs to create novel therapeutics for use alone and in fixed-dose combination products. Adamas is currently developing ADS-5102, its lead wholly-owned product candidate, for the treatment of levodopa-induced dyskinesia associated with Parkinson’s disease and for the treatment of walking impairment in patients with multiple sclerosis. The company is also evaluating ADS-4101, an extended-release version of an FDA-approved single-agent compound for the treatment of epilepsy. In addition, under a license agreement with Forest Laboratories Holdings Limited, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Allergan plc., the company is eligible to receive royalties from Forest on sales of Namenda XR® and Namzaric™ beginning in June of 2018 and May of 2020, respectively. For more information, please visit www.adamaspharma.com.
Namzaric™ is a trademark of Merz Pharma GmbH & Co. KGaA.
Namenda XR® is a registered trademark of Merz Pharma GmbH & Co. KGaA.
The statements contained in this press release that are not historical fact, including those regarding Adamas’ current and future business opportunities, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. For a description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in forward-looking statements, relating to Adamas’ business in general, see Adamas’ 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 4, 2016. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. Adamas undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement in this press release.