Elevar Therapeutics Announces Promotion of Mark Gelder, M.D. to Chief Medical Officer

SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Elevar Therapeutics, Inc. ("Elevar"), a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company built on the promise of elevating treatment experiences and outcomes for patients who have limited or inadequate therapeutic options, announced today that Mark Gelder, M.D., has been promoted to chief medical officer of Elevar Therapeutics.

Dr. Gelder joined Elevar in 2020 as vice president of medical affairs where he was responsible for building and leading Elevar's global medical organization, setting the strategy for development programs from clinical trials through regulatory filings, new product launches and lifecycle opportunities. In his role as chief medical officer, Dr. Gelder will oversee the Company's clinical development, medical affairs, regulatory affairs, and preclinical teams.

"Since joining Elevar in 2020, Mark has been integral in advancing our proprietary drug candidates through the clinic and has been a key member of our development team. His medical expertise and leadership will be especially important as we advance the ovarian cancer program for Apealea® (paclitaxel micellar) and as we move rivoceranib (apatinib) from the clinic towards potential regulatory approval as a new treatment option for some of the largest unmet medical needs in oncology," said Alex Kim, chief executive officer of Elevar. "Mark has the leadership, track record, and breadth of experience that uniquely position him for this role. I look forward to our continued close partnership in this next phase of Elevar's evolution."

Dr. Gelder brings more than 35 years of clinical development, medical affairs and medical marketing experience including 17 years of global medical affairs experience leading therapeutic oncology programs for companies such as Pfizer, Wyeth and Bayer, where he was involved in the approval and launch of several cancer therapeutics. Dr. Gelder has led successful global trials, launch plans and Phase I-Phase IV studies for several emerging oncology organizations and has been instrumental in the approval and launch of numerous oncology products. Prior to his work in the biopharmaceutical industry, Dr. Gelder was an investigator in multiple clinical trials and has authored numerous scientific papers in the areas of women's health and oncology.

Dr. Gelder earned his medical doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Medicine and completed his residency training internal medicine and obstetrics and gynecology followed by a gynecologic oncology fellowship. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and has extensive clinical experience in both the academic and private practice settings.

About Elevar Therapeutics
Elevar Therapeutics (formerly LSK BioPharma) is a rapidly growing, fully integrated biopharmaceutical company built on the promise of elevating treatment experiences and outcomes for patients who have limited or inadequate therapeutic options. Elevar's lead proprietary drug candidates include rivoceranib (apatinib) and Apealea^® (paclitaxel micellar). Rivoceranib is the first small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) to be approved in gastric cancer (China, Dec 2014). It has been granted Orphan Drug designation in the U.S., Europe and South Korea and has been clinically tested in over 1,000 patients worldwide in numerous cancer indications. Apealea is a non-Cremophor EL based formulation of paclitaxel that received marketing authorization by the European Commission in November 2018, making it Europe's first non-Cremophor EL formulation of paclitaxel approved for use in ovarian cancer. Elevar Therapeutics has offices in Utah, California and South Korea, and additional information is available at www.elevartherapeutics.com.

About Apealea® (paclitaxel micellar)
Apealea is a patented, water-soluble, intravenously injectable, non-Cremophor based formulation of paclitaxel. Paclitaxel is a well-known chemotherapy agent used to treat breast, ovarian, lung, bladder, prostate, melanoma, and esophageal cancer, as well as other types of solid tumor cancers. Cremophor EL, is a toxic formulation vehicle used for various poorly-water soluble drugs, including the anticancer agent paclitaxel and is associated with allergic reactions. Apealea received marketing authorization by the European Commission in November 2018, making it Europe's first non-Cremophor EL formulation of paclitaxel approved for use in ovarian cancer.

About Rivoceranib (apatinib)
Rivoceranib is the first small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) to be approved in gastric cancer (China, Dec 2014). It has been granted Orphan Drug designation in the U.S., Europe and South Korea and has been clinically tested in over 1,000 patients worldwide. Rivoceranib acts by inhibiting angiogenesis, a critical process in cancer growth and proliferation. Specifically, rivoceranib potently and selectively inhibits VEGFR-2 which mediates the primary pathway for tumor-mediated angiogenesis. As a best-in-class therapeutic known for its safety and tolerability, Elevar believes rivoceranib has the potential to significantly improve clinical outcomes in combination with chemotherapeutics and immunotherapy, as well as for maintenance therapy. Elevar Therapeutics is developing rivoceranib for the treatment of patients with gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and adenoid cystic carcinoma.

Elevar Media Contact:
Elixir Health Public Relations
Lindsay Rocco
(862) 596-1304
[email protected]

SOURCE Elevar Therapeutics