BEVERLY, MA--(Marketwired - June 30, 2016) - Cellceutix Corporation, (CTIX) ("the Company"), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies with oncology, dermatology, antibiotic, and anti-inflammatory applications, today announces the appointment of Arthur P. Bertolino, MD, PhD, MBA, as President and Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Krishna Menon will continue to serve as Chief Scientific Officer and President of Research at Cellceutix. Dr. Bertolino is a leading pharmaceutical executive with over fifteen years of domestic and international drug development and management experience. Dr. Bertolino's responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, day-to-day operations for all aspects of the Company, including pipeline development, cohesion of clinical and business strategies, team building and exploration of partnering opportunities.
In his career, Dr. Bertolino held several key positions at Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research (NIBR), including Vice President of Dermatology and Vice President & Global Head of Translational Medicine for Dermatology. During his time at NIBR, Dr. Bertolino was integral to the marketing approval of Ilaris® (canakinumab) in the United States, European Union and Switzerland. He also led the early clinical program of Cosentyx™ (secukinumab) and late stage supportive submission studies. Further, he successfully recruited an additional six physicians to the Novartis team and contributed to other hires in NIBR.
Dr. Bertolino held positions as Senior Medical Director and Senior Director of Dermatology at Pfizer, Inc. Among other accomplishments at Pfizer, he led clinical programs for over a half-dozen new chemical entities involving Phase 1 and Phase 2 studies and contributed to planning for Phase 3 studies. Dr. Bertolino led FDA clinical interactions at entitlement meetings for Pfizer's dermatology products and served as Pfizer's dermatology spokesperson.
Dr. Bertolino served as Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Medical Affairs at Peplin, Inc., where he led Phase 2 programs and designed and drove initial Phase 3 programs that contributed to FDA approval of Picato® (ingenol mebutate). Dr. Bertolino also held the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Revance Therapeutics, where he, among other responsibilities, supervised all aspects of clinical staff and programs and regulatory affairs.
Dr. Bertolino earned a BS in Chemistry/Biochemistry from SUNY Stony Brook, an MD and PhD in Pharmacology from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and an MBA from the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business. He has authored over 50 abstracts, papers, and book chapters, and also has been a contributor to major media broadcasts and print media, such as Nightline, Nova, CBS This Morning, Men's Health, GQ, Discover and more.
"With several of our compounds in or approaching mid- and late-stage development, we are assembling a team of industry veterans with a track record of bringing drugs to market. Art is an important first addition in these efforts as we recruit and negotiate with other industry leaders to advance our novel therapies for patients in need around the world. He brings exceptional clinical and corporate leadership and regulatory expertise, having spearheaded multiple development programs for drugs forecasted to be blockbusters for some of the world's most recognized pharmaceutical companies," commented Chief Executive Officer Leo Ehrlich. "Art will play a pivotal role as we seek to realize the global potential of the entire Cellceutix pipeline."
Dr. Bertolino commented, "I am excited to join Cellceutix. While many professional opportunities were presented to me, I saw Cellceutix as the best fit and an exciting opportunity to lead the advancement of what I believe are some very promising drug candidates. The Company's pipeline is world-class, with compounds that can transform lives. I look forward to helping Cellceutix deliver on its vast potential."