Amsterdam-Duivendrecht, The Netherlands, September 29, 2017 – Kiadis Pharma N.V. (“Kiadis Pharma” or the “Company”) (Euronext Amsterdam and Brussels: KDS), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative products to make bone marrow transplantations safer and more effective for patients suffering from blood cancers and inherited blood disorders, today announces the appointment of Dr. Andrew Sandler as Chief Medical Officer (CMO), effective October 1, 2017. Dr. Sandler will take over the role from Dr. Jeroen Rovers who will work closely with Dr. Sandler until the end of 2017, as part of a planned transition.
Dr. Sandler will be a member of the Executive Management Team and will oversee the overall medical function and strategy of the Company, including clinical development, regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance and medical affairs.
Dr. Sandler has over 20 years of experience within the healthcare industry, dedicated to hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. He has served as the senior medical executive in multiple global NASDAQ listed oncology companies. Most recently, Dr. Sandler was Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs, at Medivation (now part of Pfizer). Prior to that he was CMO at Dendreon Pharmaceuticals and Spectrum Pharma. He has also held senior-level positions with several other leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, including Bayer Healthcare, Berlex and Seattle Genetics. Dr. Sandler obtained his MD from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York and completed a fellowship in medical oncology at University of California San Francisco. A US citizen, Dr. Sandler is a board certified medical oncologist and has treated many patients with hematologic malignancies, including bone marrow transplant patients.
Arthur Lahr, CEO of Kiadis Pharma, commented: “I am delighted to welcome Dr. Andrew Sandler to Kiadis Pharma. Andrew’s vast experience and track record of guiding late-stage oncology and cell therapy products through registration and launch in Europe and the US will be of immense value. He will be instrumental in further building recognition for and adoption of ATIR101™ in the medical community, and allow us to create a strong presence in the US.
“Combined with the appointment of Jan Feijen as Chief Operations Officer and former Actelion COO Otto Schwarz joining our Supervisory Board, we now have a seasoned leadership team of the highest caliber to bring this unique orphan drug to patients.
“I would like to express our gratitude to Dr. Jeroen Rovers for his significant contributions to Kiadis Pharma, as evidenced by the European Marketing Authorization Application and FDA RMAT designation for ATIR101™.”
Andrew Sandler, commented: “I am very excited to join Kiadis Pharma at this crucial time in the Company’s growth. I look forward to guiding ATIR101™ through the next stages of its development, with the goal of bringing this innovative treatment to patients in Europe and the US. I have a personal passion for the field of oncology and I truly believe ATIR101™ can address a huge unmet medical need for patients undergoing hematopoietic stem-cell transplantations.”
