NEW HAVEN, Conn., June 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: BTAI), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company utilizing artificial intelligence to identify improved therapies in neuroscience and immuno-oncology, today announced the appointment of Will Kane as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). Mr. Kane brings over three decades of product commercialization experience in the pharmaceutical industry, most recently as the Head of the U.S. General Medicine business unit at Allergan.
“We are delighted to welcome Will, a biopharma veteran with a proven track record in bringing neuropsychiatric drugs to market, to our team,” commented Vimal Mehta, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of BTI. “As we advance our late-stage pipeline, his extensive experience in developing both pre-launch plans and building commercial capabilities will lay the groundwork for our potential go-to-market strategy for BXCL501. Furthermore, Will’s vast knowledge in commercializing drugs for diverse healthcare settings, including hospital-based products, will be key to navigating specific market environments. In only a few short weeks, our pivotal SERENITY trials will be reading out – a momentous time in our Company’s history – and, assuming positive data, Mr. Kane will be instrumental in transitioning BTI from a research and development-focused business into a fully-integrated, commercial organization.”
Prior to joining BTI, Mr. Kane held senior level commercial positions at leading biopharma companies, including Allergan, Pfizer, and Sepracor (now Sunovion Pharmaceuticals), and was an integral part of launching numerous successful brands. These include CELEBREX® for the treatment of arthritis, NAMZARIC®? for Alzheimer’s disease, VRAYLAR® for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and UBRELVY™, the first oral calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) for the acute treatment of migraine. Most recently, he was Senior Vice President and Head of the U.S. General Medicine business unit at Allergan, a multi-therapeutic portfolio with $5.8 billion in 2019 sales, where he oversaw more than 2,000 sales and marketing professionals. Mr. Kane holds a B.A. in Government from Connecticut College and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
“I am thrilled to be joining BTI at this important time for the Company,” added Mr. Kane. “Using its innovative research and development platform, BTI has identified a potentially first-in-class treatment, BXCL501, for patients with acute agitation associated with neuropsychological disorders. Affecting approximately 10 million individuals in the U.S., agitation is widespread and lacks treatment options addressing the underlying condition, resulting in a significant healthcare burden. Together with the BTI team, I look forward to building a successful commercial organization that is capable of bringing new therapeutic options to physicians and caregivers, while improving the lives of millions of patients.”
About BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc.:
BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on drug development that utilizes artificial intelligence to identify improved therapies in neuroscience and immuno-oncology. BTI's drug re-innovation approach leverages existing approved drugs and/or clinically evaluated product candidates together with big data and proprietary machine learning algorithms to identify new therapeutic indices. BTI's two most advanced clinical development programs are BXCL501, an investigational sublingual thin film formulation in development for acute treatment of agitation resulting from neuropsychiatric disorders, and BXCL701, an investigational orally administered systemic innate immunity activator in development for treatment of a rare form of prostate cancer and for treatment of pancreatic cancer in combination with other immuno-oncology agents. For more information, please visit www.bioxceltherapeutics.com.
