Arena Pharmaceuticals Appoints Experienced Life Sciences Industry Finance Executive Manmeet S. Soni to Board of Directors

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARNA) today announced the appointment of Manmeet S. Soni as a non-executive director. Mr. Soni is a highly accomplished senior finance executive with extensive experience in the life sciences industry.

"Manmeet brings deep financial and business expertise to the board, and we are thrilled to welcome him," said Tina Nova, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Arena. "His leadership abilities and senior finance experience within the life sciences industry will be instrumental as we strategically advance Arena towards its next stage of growth."

Mr. Soni has served as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. since May 2017. From March 2016 to February 2017, he was Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a publicly-held biopharmaceutical company, when ARIAD was acquired by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. Previously, Mr. Soni served as Chief Financial Officer of Pharmacyclics, Inc., a publicly-held biopharmaceutical company, until its acquisition by AbbVie, Inc. in May 2015. He first joined Pharmacyclics in September 2012 as corporate controller and served in various increasingly senior roles prior to being appointed Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer in February 2014. Prior to joining Pharmacyclics, Mr. Soni worked at ZELTIQ Aesthetics Inc., a publicly held medical technology company, as well as PricewaterhouseCoopers, in the Life Science and Venture Capital Group and PricewaterhouseCoopers India, providing audit and assurance services. Mr. Soni currently serves as director of Pulse Biosciences, Inc. He is a certified public accountant and completed his Chartered Accountancy from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

About Arena Pharmaceuticals
Arena Pharmaceuticals is driven to deliver novel, transformational medicines with optimized pharmacology and pharmacokinetics to patients globally. Arena's proprietary pipeline includes multiple potentially first- or best-in-class assets with broad clinical utility. Etrasimod (APD334), with potential utility in a broad range of immune and inflammatory conditions, is being evaluated in later-stage clinical programs in ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease, as well as in programs for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and atopic dermatitis. Ralinepag (APD811) is being evaluated in a Phase 3 program for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Arena is also evaluating olorinab (APD371) in a Phase 2 program for gastrointestinal pain. Arena continues to assess other earlier research and development stage drug candidates, including APD418 for decompensated heart failure.

In addition, Arena has several partnerships including with Everest Medicines Limited (ralinepag and etrasimod in Greater China and select Asian countries), Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH (undisclosed target - preclinical), Outpost Medicine, LLC (undisclosed target ? preclinical), and Eisai Co., Ltd. and Eisai Inc. (BELVIQ^® - marketed product).

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements may be accompanied by words such as "will," "driven to," "potentially," "potential," or words of similar meaning, or they may be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements about Mr. Soni's expected contribution; Arena's potential strategic advancement toward its next stage of growth; and Arena's drive, focus, goals, strategy, clinical and research and development programs, and collaborations. For such statements, Arena claims the protection of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual events or results may differ materially from Arena's expectations. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements include the timing and outcome of research, development and regulatory review is uncertain; clinical programs may not proceed at the time or in the manner expected or at all; results of clinical trials and other studies are subject to different interpretations and may not be predictive of future results; and other risks related to developing and commercializing drugs; as well as those factors disclosed in Arena's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including but not limited to Arena's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2018, which was filed with the SEC on November 8, 2018. These forward-looking statements represent Arena's judgment as of the time of this release. Arena disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements, other than as may be required under applicable law.

Corporate Contact:                                      
Kevin R. Lind
Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer                                  
[email protected] 
858.210.3636

Media Contact:
Matt Middleman, MD
LifeSci Public Relations
[email protected] 
646.627.8384

SOURCE Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc.