Connectyx Announces Key Biotech Industry Veterans to Management Team

Expertise in Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs and Manufacturing Represented

Connectyx Technologies Holdings Group, Inc., Connectyx announced the addition of three industry veterans to the company’s management team.  I Richard Garr will be joining the Company as chief executive officer and general counsel, Ron Bordens Ph.D. has been named executive vice president of technical operations and manufacturing, and Michael Grace Ph.D. has agreed to become chairman of the scientific advisory board.  Paul M. Michaels will continue as executive chairman and president of Connectyx; and Dr. Barry Ginsberg will continue as vice chairman and chief strategy officer.

Chairman Michaels noted, “When I began the journey as interim chief executive officer, I knew that as the company progressed, more world-class talent would be needed. Both Richard and Ron have been working with the Company in an advisory capacity for the past 6 months and have already significantly contributed to our progress.  We welcome their addition to the management team as we begin to prepare our programs for the clinic, and I look forward to working closely with these accomplished industry professionals.”

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About I Richard Garr, CEO and General Counsel

Mr. Garr was former president & CEO and general counsel, Neuralstem Inc. (1997-2016), where he had responsibility and oversight worldwide for all operations of a leading regenerative medicine company including: IP portfolio prosecution; defense and management; worldwide regulatory affairs; worldwide licensing and business development and collaborations; capital raises; social media and public relations programs. Mr. Garr is also the founder and managing partner of Access Hope CRO, the first CRO dedicated exclusively to Right to Try treatment programs, at scale, to accelerate drug development.  Mr. Garr’s nonprofit affiliations and work include: a co-founding director of the Starlight Mid Atlantic  Foundation; The First Star Foundation and the First Star Institute; a group of charities involved in helping seriously ill children and abused and neglected children; a director on the National Advisory Counsel for Right To Try; a group involved in expanding access to clinical trial stage treatments for dying patients; in addition to considerable work with, and for, various state chapters of the ALS Society of America, the National Brain Tumor Foundation and the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Ron Bordens Ph.D., Executive Vice President of Technical Operations and Manufacturing

Dr. Bordens is an accomplished executive scientist with over 40 years of successful experience in biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries for companies focused on research and development. He possesses a unique skill set including, but not limited to, people leadership, scientific expertise, and quality assurance and control. His pharmaceutical industry experience includes drug discovery, drug development and research technology with a focus on bioanalytical research, biomarkers, and leadership development during his 26-year career at Schering-Plough Research.  Dr. Bordens has authored articles published in scientific journals on topics including insulin receptors and circulating immune complexes, among other subjects, in addition to presenting at domestic and international industry conferences.

Michael Grace, Ph.D., Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board

Dr. Grace has 30 years of executive and technical experience in both research and development of protein therapeutics and peptides within the biotechnology industry at Schering-Plough, Bristol Myers Squibb, NPS Pharma and Advaxis Inc. He has contributed to or personally led the development to commercial approval of nine (9) drugs by the FDA and EMA (European Medicines Agency), including PEG-IntronTM, OrenciaTM, NulojixTM, YervoyTM, GattexTM and NatparaTM. His industry experience encompasses all aspects of drug development from discovery, process development, analytical development, quality control and regulatory. He is well-published within his field of expertise and has presented world-wide on several aspects of protein analytics, characterization, and process and product development.

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Comments from Management Team

CEO Garr added, “I have been fortunate enough to be involved with the acquisition of all three programs Connectyx has recently brought in; a novel immunostimulant to treat late-stage rabies; a first in class antibody drug conjugate to treat brain tumors, and the repurposing of Metformin to treat degenerative eye diseases.  Each program is based on world-class science and strong intellectual property protection and each offers the opportunity to create disease modifying treatments for patients who currently have no good treatment options.  I look forward to working with the entire management team, using our collective experience and industry relationships to move each of these programs forward on an accelerated development path, which is the goal for all our programs at Connectyx.”

Dr. Ron Bordens noted, “The ability to manufacture and produce GMP level therapeutics for both clinical and pre-clinical use has become an increasingly critical component in every phase of drug development.  It has also become an increasingly international exercise during my four decades in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry.  We are already scheduling manufacturing and testing in the U.S. and Europe and our ability to access capacity and talent worldwide is one of the reasons we are confident in setting such aggressive development timelines for our programs.”

Chairman Michaels concluded, “The work of building a company is never done, but our management team gives us a strong foundation to build upon and ensures that we can deliver on the great promise of our therapeutic development programs for patients with unmet medical needs.”

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