Minerva Neurosciences is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of a portfolio of product candidates to treat central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Our goal is to transform the lives of patients with improved therapeutic options and a patient-centric focus. Leveraging extensive domain expertise, we have identified and acquired or in-licensed a portfolio of development-stage proprietary compounds with innovative mechanisms of action. As we work to advance our current product pipeline, we plan to explore additional indications, identify new product candidates from our existing intellectual property, and acquire rights to additional promising product candidates with significant therapeutic potential. The Minerva Neurosciences executive management team includes globally recognized specialists in neuropsychiatric disease and commercialization of products addressing significant unmet medical needs.
The Minerva Neurosciences strategy is based on four key principles: unwavering commitment to neuropsychiatric patients, their families and communities; scientific rigor; continually leveraging patient and caregiver insights to drive scientific advancement; and an unparalleled commitment to integrity in all of our business dealings. As we work to advance our pipeline of products through clinical development and regulatory review, we will also selectively explore collaborations with leading pharmaceutical companies.
President and Chief Executive Officer
Over the past 20 years, Dr. Vivaldi has been involved in commercializing more than 20 pharmaceutical products addressing a wide range of unmet medical needs. He most recently served as Senior Vice President and Head of the Rare Diseases Business Unit at Genzyme Corporation and was previously head of Genzyme's Renal and Endocrinology Unit. Prior to that, he led the establishment of Genzyme's business operations in Brazil and served as President of Genzyme Latin America. He received his medical degree from Medical School - Rio de Janeiro University (UNIRIO), and completed his residency in endocrinology at State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ). He completed his M.B.A. at Coppead, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ).
Executive Vice President and Head of Research & Development (R&D)
Dr. Remy Luthringer has been involved in the development of more than 150 active molecules for clinical trials in the central nervous system. Dr. Luthringer served as Chief Medical Officer for Index Ventures, with a focus on investments in healthcare infrastructure. He was also the head of the FORENAP Institute for Research in Neurosciences and Neuropsychiatry in France. Dr. Luthringer has extensive experience in clinical psychiatric practice and holds a PhD in neurosciences and clinical pharmacology.
Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
Prior to being named as Minerva Neurosciences' CFO, Mr. Race served as a consultant for the development of MIN-101 and MIN-117. He has previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Funxional Therapeutics Ltd., the lead program of which (FX125L) was acquired by Boehringer Ingelheim in 2012. He also served as Chief Financial Officer at PanGenetics B.V. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and earned his MBA from Durham University Business School.
Chief Business Officer
Joe Reilly was most recently Vice President, Head of Commercial Strategy and Operations at Genzyme Corporation. In more than a decade at Genzyme, he also served as Vice President of Global Business Operations, Vice President of Commercial Operations and Vice President of Finance in the Rare Diseases Division. Joe holds a BS and MS in Finance from Boston College.
Minerva Neurosciences investors include global leaders in pharmaceutical and life sciences investment, including:
Minerva Neurosciences is focused on the field of neuropsychiatry within the CNS disease pharmaceutical market. Neuropsychiatry is a medical subspecialty devoted to understanding cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and perceptual symptoms resulting from circuit-specific brain dysfunction and includes a range of serious diseases and conditions. The Minerva Neurosciences pipeline will initially target the treatment of schizophrenia, major depressive disorder (MDD), insomnia, and Parkinson's disease, each of which affects millions of people around the world. Currently available treatment options for these conditions are known to have significant limitations that can result in high rates of discontinuation of therapy and unsatisfactory efficacy and safety profiles. Family members also often face significant challenges associated with the burden of these and many other neuropsychiatric diseases. Minerva Neurosciences is pursuing the development of new therapeutic options based on its deep knowledge of the pathology of neuropsychiatric diseases, the pharmacology of its library of compounds, and its understanding of desired outcomes for unmet patient needs. We believe our product candidates each have novel mechanisms of action and represent differentiated treatment options with the potential to address unmet needs with significantly improved efficacy and safety.
Minerva currently has a portfolio of best-in-class product candidates in the pipeline. Dr. Luthringer led the effort to license and develop two products now in the Minerva pipeline, MIN-101 and MIN-117, during his tenure at our legacy companies Cyrenaic Pharmaceuticals and Sonkei Pharmaceuticals, which were merged in 2013 to create Minerva Neurosciences. In 2014, Minerva Neurosciences further expanded the company's product candidate portfolio by acquiring all of the shares of Mind-NRG S.A., which hold exclusive rights to develop and commercialize MIN-301 (development program also led by Dr. Luthringer). Likewise during February 2014 and pending certain conditions, Minerva initiated a co-development licensing agreement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals N.V., a Johnson & Johnson company, to acquire EU development and commercialization rights on sales of MIN-202. Building on this platform, our focus on the science of neuropsychiatry positions us to continually identify new therapeutic options in our goal to build an extensive pipeline of therapies targeting many additional unmet needs for patients in the years ahead.
245 First Street, Suite 1800
Cambridge, MA 02142
617.444.8446
For general inquiries, please contact:
info@minervaneurosciences.com
For media inquiries, please contact:
Bill Berry
Berry & Company Public Relations
212.253.8881
bberry@berrypr.com
For investor inquiries, please contact:
Renee Leck
Stern Investor Relations
212.362.1200
renee@sternir.com
