- President & CEO of La Jolla Pharmaceuticals brings vast experience in the development and commercialization of antibiotics, infectious diseases and Hospital Products.
LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / March 1, 2021 / UTILITY therapeutics Ltd., a biotechnology company focused on the U.S. development and commercialization of two European-approved antibiotics for the treatment of urinary tract infections (UTI), announced today that Larry G. Edwards has been appointed to the Company's Board of Directors.
"Larry's experience in antibiotics will meaningfully impact UTILITY's efforts to bring new treatments to the U.S. market for patients with UTIs," stated Alan S. Roemer, Chairman of UTILITY's Board of Directors. "We welcome Larry to the Board and look forward to his future contributions to the growth of UTILITY and the improvement of patient outcomes."
Mr. Edwards has served as a director, President and Chief Executive Officer of La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company since 2020. From 2015 to 2020, he served in various positions at Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals, Inc., most recently serving as Chief Executive Officer. Previously, Mr. Edwards served as Senior Director of Marketing of the Gram-negative Franchise of Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (acquired by Merck), and multiple ascending leadership roles during more than 15 years at Merck. Mr. Edwards received a B.S. degree in business and healthcare administration from Ohio University.
About UTILITY therapeutics Ltd.
UTILITY has exclusive U.S. commercial rights to two European-approved antibiotics, pivmecillinam and mecillinam, for the treatment of urinary tract infections (UTI). Pivmecillinam is an oral prodrug of mecillinam that is being developed for uncomplicated UTI (uUTI), and it has a unique mechanism of action for infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria, including extended-spectrum beta-lactamases. Mecillinam, an intravenous (IV) formulation, is being developed as a first-line therapy for complicated UTI (cUTI) in the hospital setting.
UTILITY has received the FDA's qualified infectious disease product (QIDP) designation for pivmecillinam for the treatment of uUTI, and IV mecillinam followed by oral pivmecillinam as step-down, carbapenem-sparing therapy for cUTI. This therapeutic regimen allows patients to complete their treatment outside of hospital and reduces the economic burden of cUTI to both patients and payers. The FDA's QIDP designation is for antibacterial and antifungal drug candidates intended to treat serious or life-threatening infections, and it provides an additional five years of market exclusivity and potential Priority Review.
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SOURCE: Utility Therapeutics Ltd.