CED, the Southeast’s largest entrepreneurial support organization, today announced the officers and members elected to its Board of Directors for terms beginning July 1, 2012. Nominations to the Board of Directors were approved by the full CED Board of Directors at the May 2012 meeting.

Eric Linsley, managing partner at Pappas Ventures, remains Chair of the Board, and David Spitz, president and COO at Channel Advisor, remains Chair-elect. Helga Leftwich, partner at Hutchison Law Group, was elected Secretary, and David Hood, audit partner at Ernst & Young, was elected Treasurer. All officers serve one-year terms. 

Members of CED’s Board of Directors serve two-year terms. The seven newly elected members are: Larry Bettino, general partner, StarVest Partners; Glen Caplan, shareholder, Robinson Bradshaw; Bob Geolas, president and CEO, RTP Foundation; Gary Hayes, managing director, Scale Finance; Nick Jordan, founder and managing director, Smashing Boxes; Giles Shih, CEO, BioResource International; and Craig Stone, CEO, HireNetworks.

Returning to CED’s Board of Directors for a second consecutive two-year term are: Kyle Breischaft, Emergency Technologies; Lee Buck, BlueBright Ventures; Kent Christison, K & L Gates; Joe Colopy, Bronto Software; John Crumpler, Hatteras Venture Partners; Mike Elliott, Noro-Moseley Partners; Vipin Garg, Tranzyme Pharma; Jonathan Gindes, Affinergy; Collin Hill, Cherry Bekaert & Holland; John Kerr, York Commercial Properties; R. Brooks Malone, III, Hughes, Pittman & Gupton; Chris Matton, Bandwidth.com; David Rizzo, NCIDEA; Laura Robinette, PwC; David Routh, Bank of America; Chip Royce, Lenovo; Lori Spivey, Financial Directions Group; Teresa Spangler, PlazaBridge Group; Alan Spurgin, Square 1 Bank; Wright Steenrod, Chrysalis Ventures; Rob Tyler, Poyner Spruill; and Rik Vandevenne, River Cities Capital Funds.

Mike Grey will join a discussion panel entitled "Are we Heading into a Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Market of Orphan and Narrow Indications" at the 2012 BIO International Convention on June 19th in Boston, MA.

WALTHAM, Mass., May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an oncology company moving into phase 3 having completed randomized, placebo controlled phase 2 studies, announced Luke Evnin, Ph.D. will join the board of directors replacing Steven St. Peter, M.D. 

"We are thankful to Steven for his commitment over the past few years and we are excited to have Luke join the board given his experience and track record of building cutting-edge biotechnology companies since 1990," said Dennis Podlesak, chairman of the Syndax board of directors.  "Syndax is well positioned to bring its lead product entinostat into phase 3 testing and to continue building out the company to support this growth phase."

Dr. Evnin has served as a managing director at MPM Capital since he co-founded MPM's asset management business in 1997.   Dr. Evnin focuses on global healthcare investing for MPM. Prior to joining MPM, Dr. Evnin was at Accel Partners for over seven years including four as a general partner. He was involved in biopharmaceutical, medical device and healthcare service companies for several of Accel's funds.  Dr. Evnin currently serves as a director of Enteromedics, Inc. (ETRM) and Pacira (PCRX),  publicly-traded companies, as well as private companies, NeuroTherapeutics Pharma, Inc. and Oxagen Limited.  Dr. Evnin earned his Ph.D. in the department of biochemistry at the University of California-San Francisco, and received his A.B. in molecular biology magna cum laude from Princeton University.

"With entinostat, a promising late-stage oncology product candidate, and a talented management team in place, our vision at MPM that we invested in several years ago is now being realized," said Dr. Evnin.  "If the randomized phase 2 data is confirmed in a phase 3 trial, entinostat, an oral HDAC, will be a new and compelling option to allow women to remain successfully treated with  hormone therapy, the standard of care for metastatic breast cancer.   Entinostat has shown in preclinical trials the ability to reverse or delay the emergence of epigentically driven resistance to targeted therapies in solid tumors.  I am looking forward to contributing to moving this promising oncology product candidate forward and building a company that can maximize its impact for patients."

About Syndax Syndax is a late-stage oncology company initiating pivotal programs in solid tumors based on employing epigenetic strategies to overcome the problem of resistance in oncology care. Syndax holds worldwide rights to entinostat, an oral, highly selective histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, which inhibits the cancer-relevant class 1 HDAC enzymes that contribute to epigenetic alterations driving cancer growth and drug tolerance. Entinostat's unique pharmacokinetic properties, convenient oral dosing and HDAC selectivity, maximize the opportunity to safely combine with and potentially extend the benefit of proven cancer therapies. Entinostat has been studied in more than 600 cancer patients with clinical activity in solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. Randomized, placebo-controlled phase 2 studies with entinostat have demonstrated promising results in combination with aromatase inhibitors in breast cancer (ENCORE 301) and with the EGFR-TKI erlotinib (ENCORE 401) in non-small cell lung cancer. Results from the ENCORE clinical program have provided the basis for moving entinostat into pivotal, phase 3 testing across a platform of solid tumor indications. NCI and Syndax are collaborating on the development of entinostat under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement.

The company is supported by top venture capitalists and led by industry experts developing treatments for large markets including metastatic breast and lung cancer. Formed in 2005, Syndax's intellectual property is based on work from scientific founder Ronald Evans, Ph.D., recipient of the 2004 Albert Lasker Prize for Basic Medical Research, a Member of the National Academy of Sciences, a professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. For more information please visit www.syndax.com.

Scott will sit on a panel focusing on raising US venture capital at the BioFinance 2012 conference in Toronto on May 29-30, 2012

WALTHAM, Mass., April 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an oncology company moving into phase 3 having completed randomized, placebo controlled phase 2 studies, announced the appointment of Arlene M. Morris as chief executive officer.  Joanna Horobin, MD will serve as president.

"Syndax is leading the field of epigeneticsa novel way to control gene regulationto address unmet needs in cancer due to the problem of resistance," said Dennis Podlesak, chairman of the Syndax board of directors. "With the positive phase 2 randomized, placebo-controlled data and the addition of Arlene Morris to our impressive leadership team, Syndax is well positioned to successfully complete the final phase of clinical development to achieve our goal of providing a new treatment option for women with metastatic breast cancer."

During her eight years as president and CEO at Affymax, Ms. Morris led the company through the development of peginesatide (Omontys®), a strategic collaboration with Takeda and an Initial Public Offering. Prior to Affymax Ms. Morris was the president and CEO of Clearview Projects, an advisory firm which counseled biopharmaceutical and biotechnology companies on strategic transactions. Before that she was the senior vice president, business development at Coulter, a biotechnology company focused on immunotherapeutic approaches to cancer, autoimmune and infectious diseases, where she completed numerous transactions including a $1.0 billion merger between Corixa and Coulter. Ms. Morris began her career at Johnson & Johnson (J&J) as a sales representative rising to vice president of business development. Ms. Morris received her bachelor's degree in biology and chemistry from Carlow College. In addition to Syndax Ms. Morris serves on the board of directors of Neovacs and MediciNova.

"After working with Syndax as a director over the past nine months, I am excited to take a more active role now as we move entinostat forward and secure the financing and personnel required to take this exciting product candidate for breast cancer through the final phase of testing," said Ms. Morris.

About Syndax
Syndax is a late-stage oncology company supported by top venture capitalists and led by industry experts developing treatments for large markets including metastatic breast and lung cancer. The Company's platform is based on employing epigenetics to overcome the problem of resistance in oncology care. Syndax holds worldwide rights to entinostat, an oral, highly selective histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, which inhibits cancer-relevant HDAC enzymes which contribute to epigenetic alterations driving cancer growth and drug tolerance. Entinostat's unique pharmacokinetic properties, convenient oral dosing and HDAC selectivity, maximize the opportunity to safely combine with and potentially extend the benefit of proven cancer therapies. Entinostat has demonstrated promising activity in randomized, phase 2 clinical trials in combination with targeted therapies.   For more information please visit www.syndax.com.

WALTHAM, Mass., April 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage epigenetics oncology company, announced Arthur M. Pappas will join the board of directors.

"We are delighted to have Art Pappas join the Syndax board given his rich background as a former senior level pharmaceutical executive and as a highly experienced life science venture capital investor," said Dennis Podlesak, chairman of the Syndax board of directors. "As Syndax advances into this exciting growth period and we build out the company to support the global phase 3 initiative, Art's leadership and extensive experience will be an invaluable asset."

"With the impressive overall survival results seen in the breast cancer population, entinostat represents a promising medicine for the Syndax team to lead its development," said Mr. Pappas. "This is an important time as the company prepares to move in to phase 3 clinical testing. As the phase 2 trials are confirmed, entinostat could be a promising new treatment option for women with ER positive metastatic breast cancer. I am pleased to be part of this effort."

Mr. Pappas is the founder and managing partner of Pappas Ventures, a Research Triangle Park, North Carolina-based venture capital firm that invests nationally in the life science industry. Mr. Pappas and his team of investment, biotechnology and medical experts manage over $350 million and oversee investments in more than 40 portfolio companies. Prior to founding Pappas Ventures in 1994, Mr. Pappas held senior level leadership positions at several multinational pharmaceutical companies. He was an executive member of the board of directors of Glaxo Holdings plc, for which he was the chief executive responsible for international operations including research, development and manufacturing. He previously was vice president of commercial operations for Abbott International Ltd., and he held various executive positions with Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals and the Dow Chemical Company, in the United States and internationally. In addition to Syndax, Mr. Pappas is a director of Afferent Pharmaceuticals, Inc., CardioDx, Inc., CeNeRx, Inc., Chimerex, Inc., CoLucid, Inc., and TyRx, Inc. He was also involved in Plexxikon, Inc. which was sold to Daiichi Sankyo last year. Mr. Pappas received his BS degree in Biology from Ohio State University and his MBA in Finance from Xavier University.

About Syndax
Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a Waltham, MA-based, late-stage, oncology-focused pharmaceutical company. The company is building a portfolio of new oncology products to extend and improve the lives of patients by developing and commercializing novel cancer therapies in optimized, mechanistically driven combination regimens. Syndax has worldwide rights to develop and commercialize entinostat which has shown promise in randomized clinical trials in breast and lung cancers and in phase 2 clinical trials in Hodgkin's lymphoma. Syndax is backed by top-tier venture capital firms Domain Associates, MPM Capital, Avalon, Pappas and Forward Ventures. Formed in 2005, Syndax's intellectual property is based on work from scientific founder Ronald Evans, Ph.D., recipient of the 2004 Albert Lasker Prize for Basic Medical Research, a Member of the National Academy of Sciences, a professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. For more information please visit www.syndax.com.

Syndax Contact Information
E. Blair Schoeb
Phone: 908.277.0386
Email: bschoeb@syndax.com

Companies like Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX), Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) aren’t healthcare companies, but one venture capitalist believes their example can guide personalized medicine.

Bob Kocher, a partner at venture capital firm Venrock, said that these consumer-focused companies have all taken steps toward personalizing their offerings. Personalization increases the value of those offerings and helps the companies make delivery of services and products more efficient.

“Because they can offer the right product, they can take away unnecessary costs,” Kocher said. “And in healthcare, that’s what we really need to do.”

Personalized medicine will help doctors determine what to treat, how to treat and how much to treat. That knowledge, Kocher said, will mean fewer medicines, not more. Evidence and data will guide treatment to the optimal level that strikes a balance between risks and outcomes.

Kocher spoke last week at a symposium held by Duke Medicine’s Center for Personalized Medicine in Durham, North Carolina. He and Turner Jenkins, an associate from Durham venture capital firm Pappas Ventures, were the only representatives from the venture capital community speaking at the event. From their perspective, here’s what VCs look for in personalized medicine investments:

Substantially saves money. Incremental ideas are not good enough, Kocher said. Investors are looking for ideas that substantially save money. If it substantially costs money and there’s little to no return on investment, the product won’t do well. And even the good ideas that are commercialized will take time to demonstrate just how much money they’ll save. Pappas is an investor in Palo Alto, California cardiovascular genomic diagnostics company CardioDx. Turner Jenkins, an associate at Durham venture capital firm Pappas Ventures, said that there is a gap between the launch of the product and its reimbursement by payers. Until payers start paying for the CardioDx’s genomics diagnostic, the company must subsidize its use.

Substantially changes outcomes. Investors want technologies that are substantially better than existing treatments or technologies. Plexxikon, a California biotechnology company that was acquired by Daiichi Sankyo last year for just shy of $1 billion, provides an example. The company’s melanoma treatment Zelboraf was developed to treat cancer that can’t be removed by surgery. Clinical trial results that showed some patients able to return to work after just two weeks of treatment had doctors clamoring for the drug even before it received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval. But the drug works only in certain patients whose tumors express a particular gene mutation, which is identified by a companion diagnostic. Under priority review, FDA approval for Zelboraf and its companion diagnostic came last August, well ahead of the target dates for both products. If a personalized medicine technology doesn’t substantially save money or improve outcomes, its probably not a good idea, at least from an investment perspective, Kocher said. So what does Kocher mean by “subtantially?” Kocher said that it should be about 20 percent. “It has to be a large difference because once it gets scaled, you lose most of it,” he explained.

Must be a company. Investors are looking for companies to invest in, not just ideas. And even if your good idea has a company, there are a lot of other companies vying for VC dollars. Jenkins said Pappas Ventures receives 800 investment applications each year. Of that total, the firm invests in only one or two. “We see a lot of interesting science but say ‘no’ to a lot of companies,” Jenkins said. Pappas Ventures’ Plexxikon investment proved to be a successful one — the firm saw a return of about 10 times its original investment. But Jenkins said it remains to be seen whether these are the kinds of returns investors can expect from personalized medicine technologies. Molecular diagnostics company Genomic Health (NASDAQ:GHDX) has developed and commercialized diagnostic tests for cancer that help doctors make treatment decisions based on an individual patient’s cancer. The California company raised $60 million when it went public in 2005. But Jenkins said that in the years since, it’s still not clear if that success can be repeated, or if commercialized technologies will win reimbursement.

Turner will provide his perspective on adopting personalized medicine and the potential ROI at the Duke Center for Personalized Medicine Symposium on March 29 in Durham, NC.

Art will provide featured remarks to the Harvard Business School on personalized medicine and venture capital on Thursday, March 29 in Boston, MA.

Art Pappas will participate on a panel to discuss exit strategies, the growing role of Pharma venture capital and alternative financing strategies at the 8th annual BioExec Institute Retreat on Friday, March 23 in Miami, Florida.