RA’ANANA, Israel & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UroGen Pharma Ltd. (Nasdaq:URGN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced that Jones “Woody” Bryan, Ph.D. has been appointed as Senior Vice President of Business Development. Dr. Bryan is a seasoned industry veteran who brings to UroGen over 25 years of experience driving growth across organizations with his diverse track record of product and technology licensings and M&A negotiations and transactions. Dr. Bryan will focus on the integration of corporate strategy and business development to assess potential partnerships and bolster UroGen’s product portfolio.
“We are very excited to have someone of Woody’s caliber join our team and help us fully realize the burgeoning opportunity of lead drug candidates, UGN-101 and UGN 102 and our RTGel™ technology platform, to potentially provide novel therapies for patients worldwide,” said Ron Bentsur, Chief Executive Officer of UroGen. “Woody’s extensive experience in strategy and business development, as well as his long-standing relationships with key industry players, will be important as we focus on executing our business development strategy.”
“I believe UroGen has the transformative science, encouraging data, dedicated team of industry veterans, and strong financial position to change the treatment paradigm in uro-oncology,” said Dr. Bryan. “I look forward to helping more patients and creating added value for shareholders by building on UroGen’s existing foundation with new, innovative partnerships.”
Dr. Bryan previously served as SVP of Business Development at Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where he spearheaded the business development effort for its recent acquisition by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals for $1.2 billion earlier this year. In this role, he also led the evaluation of several in-licensing opportunities and acquisition of multiple assets. Prior to joining Sucampo, Dr. Bryan was SVP of Business Development at Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. His previous roles include VP of Business Development, Licensing at Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and VP of Business Development, Licensing and Project Management at Shire Laboratories, Inc. (a Division of Shire Pharmaceuticals Group). He is currently a Board Member of Afecta Pharma and a Board Member and past Chairman of Clemson University’s Spiro Institute of Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovation. Dr. Bryan holds a B.S. in zoology from Clemson University, a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences from the Medical University of South Carolina, and an Executive Management Certificate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler School of Business.
About UroGen Pharma Ltd.
UroGen Pharma Ltd. (Nasdaq:URGN) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing advanced non-surgical treatments to address unmet needs in the field of urology, with a focus on uro-oncology. UroGen has developed RTGel™, a proprietary sustained release, hydrogel-based platform technology that has the potential to improve therapeutic profiles of existing drugs. UroGen’s sustained release technology is designed to enable longer exposure of the urinary tract tissue to medications, making local therapy a potentially more effective treatment option. UroGen’s lead product candidates, UGN-101 (mitomycin gel for urothelial instillation), formerly known as MitoGel®, and UGN-102 (mitomycin gel for intravesical instillation), formerly known as VesiGel™, are designed to potentially remove tumors by non-surgical means and to treat several forms of non-muscle invasive urothelial cancer, including low-grade upper tract urothelial carcinoma and bladder cancer, respectively. UroGen is headquartered in Ra’anana, Israel with U.S. headquarters in New York.
