Neoprobe Corp. (NYSE Amex:NEOP) is getting a new chief executive and, perhaps, a new board member.
The Dublin, Ohio-based cancer diagnostics firm announced that CEO David Bupp will be replaced by chief development officer Mark Pykett on April 15.
Bupp will remain on the company’s board, while Pykett will be nominated for a seat, according to Neoprobe. The board room moves could be significant because Platinum-Montaur Life Sciences, the company’s largest investor, nominated its own choices for the board last week saying it "reserve[s] the right to solicit proxies to see that these candidates are added" to the board in a regulatory filing.
Neoprobe CFO Brent Larson said that three seats on the company’s seven-member board are up for re-election this year and that the company is open to replacing the three current directors. He said he believes that New York-based Platinum simply wants Neoprobe to continue adding new expertise to its board as the company evolves and looks to get its first drug on the market.
The company continues to march toward FDA approval of what it calls its “game-changing” radiopharmaceutical, Lymphoseek. And, evidence suggests, there’s a healthy amount of investor interest in the company. Neoprobe’s shares are up a whopping 77 percent on the year and the company says it’s hitting major clinical milestones, such as reaching the accrual goal of a Phase III study of Lymphoseek last month.
company officials last week said they expect to file a New Drug Application with the Food & Drug Administration for Lymphoseek next quarter, but Pykett revealed today that the company is again delaying the application. Once approved, Neoprobe could begin marketing Lymphoseek and start raking in sales. The company estimates Lymphoseek’s market value at $450 million.
Pykett said the company will delay the filing until the third quarter because it needed to enroll additional patients in a phase 3 clinical trial of Lymphoseek. Those patients are now enrolled and Neoprobe said it expects to publicly announce top-line data from the trial in May and full data in June.
NEOP shares dropped more than 7 percent to close at $3.95 a piece.
Here’s the latest personnel changes from medical device, diagnostics and life science companies around the nation. For more recent hirings and firings, check out MassDevice’s compilation of the latest personnel moves.
- Jerry Shay joins Life Length as scientific advisor
Life Length the new biotechnology company that measures the length of telomeres, announced that Jerry Shay has been appointed as a scientific advisor.
Read more - Digital Assent expands leadership team
Digital Assent has expanded its leadership team to meet the rapidly growing demand for its award-winning PatientPad solution. The PatientPad is a self-service patient check-in and education solution designed to automate the patient intake process and deliver targeted health information to interested patients while they wait. The company has added five key executives to its sales, business development, operations and product development teams.
Read more - Joslin Diabetes Center taps John Brooks as CEO
Joslin Diabetes Center has appointed John L. Brooks, III, a well-known leader in the life sciences industry, as President and Chief Executive Officer.
Read more - LipoScience taps Robert Greczyn Jr. and Woodrow Myers for board
LipoScience Inc., a highly innovative diagnostic company that is advancing patient care by developing high value proprietary blood tests using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology, announced that Robert Greczyn Jr. and Dr. Woodrow Myers Jr. have joined the company’s board. Brooks became Chairman of Joslin’s Board in May 2010. He will leave that role to take the chief executive position. He is replacing Kenneth E. Quickel, Jr., M.D., who retired as Joslin’s President and CEO in October 2010.
Read more - Delcath expands board with appointment of Gabriel Leung
Delcath Systems Inc. (NSDQ:DCTH) appointed of Gabriel Leung, M.Sc. to the company’s expanded board, effective immediately. The company increased the size of its board from seven to eight and appointed Mr. Leung to fill this new vacancy. Mr. Leung will serve as a Class III director with a term expiring at the 2012 annual stockholder meeting.
Read more - Golden Meditech chairman increases stake
Golden Meditech Holdings Ltd. (801.HK; 910801.TW) wishes to announce that the Group’s Chairman, KAM Yuen and his family has purchased 11.532 million shares of the company on March 29 & 30, 2011, at the average price of HK$1.3152 per share via a representative holding company, as per disclosed to the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearings Ltd. As a result of which, Kam and family have increased their interest in the company from 19.88% to 20.49%.
Read more - Clive Zickel joins Magnetecs as CFO
Magnetecs Corp., a designer and manufacturer of robotic catheterization control systems for minimally invasive surgical procedures, today reported that Clive Zickel has joined the company as CFO.
Read more - Minnetronix appoints Lisa Lenz as controller
Minnetronix Inc., a St. Paul-based medical device design and manufacturing firm, recently announced that Lisa Lenz has joined the company as controller.
Read more - Topera adds Dr. Eric Prystowsky to management board
Topera Medical, a developer of mapping systems that help identify the electrical source of cardiac arrhythmias, today announced the addition of Eric Prystowsky, MD, FHRS, to the company’s management advisory board
Read more - Medifocus appoints Ernie Eves to board
Medifocus Inc. (OTC:MDFZF.PK) (TSXV:MFS) a medical device company currently in Phase III clinical studies for the treatment of Breast Cancer, announced the appointment of Ernie Eves, QC, to its board.
Read more - Cleveland HeartLab appoints Glenn Gershon VP
Cleveland HeartLab LLC (CHL) appointed of Glenn Gershon as vice president of clinical laboratory operations and research and development.
Read more - MEDRAD taps new interventional business head
MEDRAD Inc. announced that Jack Darby joined the company as vice president of MEDRAD Interventional. In his new role, Darby will act as general manager of both the diagnostic and therapeutic lines of the business on a global scale, and will also join MEDRAD’s executive leadership team.
Read more - Novella Clinical names director of marketing
Novella Clinical Inc. announced Jessica Cunningham has joined the company as director of marketing. In this new role Cunningham will have executive oversight of all global marketing and communication for both Novella Clinical and Novella Clinical Resourcing.
Read more - Alphatec Spine adds of Leslie Cross to board
Alphatec Holdings Inc. (NSDQ:ATEC) announced the addition of Leslie Cross to its board. This appointment increases Alphatec Spine’s board in size from nine directors to ten, and increases the number of independent directors from five to six.
Read more - ZOLL Medical Corp. elects Judith Pelham to board
ZOLL Medical Cor. (NSDQ:ZOLL), a manufacturer of medical devices and related software solutions, announced that Judith Pelham was elected to its board at the company’s annual meeting on February 10. She replaces Daniel Mulvena who retired after serving on the board since 1998.
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Material from MedCity News was used in this report.
