Citius Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: CTXR), a late-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of first-in-class critical care products today announced the nomination of seasoned pharmaceutical executive Robert J. Smith to its Board of Directors. The nomination of Mr. Smith is subject to shareholder approval at the Citius Annual Shareholders’ Meeting to be held on March 12, 2024. Upon approval, the Citius Board of Directors will consist of seven members.
“Throughout his distinguished career spanning more than three decades as a key executive at leading pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer and Wyeth, Bob has been instrumental in driving business growth and enhancing shareholder value. He has shaped and executed numerous successful business strategies with his deep understanding of business development, mergers and acquisitions, corporate and commercial strategy, and research and development. We are privileged to have an executive of Bob’s caliber join our Board of Directors. We are confident that Bob’s insights will complement the expertise of our current Board and provide an important perspective as we advance our pipeline, build our commercial capabilities, and position Citius for growth,” stated Leonard Mazur, Chairman and CEO of Citius.
“This is a pivotal time for Citius as it prepares to transition from a clinical-stage company to a commercial organization. I am excited to work with talented executives guided by improving patient care and mindful of shareholder interests. As the Company makes progress in its late-stage development programs, I look forward to partnering with fellow members of the Board of Directors alongside Citius management to evaluate the multiple value-creating opportunities ahead,” stated Mr. Smith.
Mr. Smith is an accomplished biopharmaceutical executive who has driven commercial, financial, and operational success at leading pharmaceutical companies for more than 35 years. As Senior Vice President, Global Gene Therapy Business for the past eight years, Mr. Smith led Pfizer’s global gene therapy business and he was also responsible for managing and leading Pfizer’s gene therapy and rare disease early commercial development activities in partnership with the rare disease research unit. During his tenure at Pfizer, Mr. Smith also led Pfizer’s business development and strategic transactions teams for its worldwide research and development organization and the business development and strategy teams for Pfizer’s global animal health, Capsugel, consumer healthcare and nutrition business units, as well as the alliance management function supporting all of Pfizer’s global biopharmaceutical business units and the worldwide research and development organization.
Mr. Smith joined Pfizer from Wyeth Pharmaceuticals in 2009, following Pfizer’s acquisition of Wyeth, where he was responsible for leading and managing Wyeth’s global mergers and acquisitions group. In his previous role at Wyeth as Senior Vice President of Global Licensing, he completed a wide variety of transactions in support of Wyeth’s commercial and research and development divisions.
Mr. Smith serves or has served as a member of the Board of Directors of AM Pharma B.V. (observer), Bamboo Therapeutics Inc., Ignite Immunotherapeutics Inc., Iterum Therapeutics Limited (observer), Life Sciences PA – the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Association, Bio NJ – the New Jersey State Biotechnology Association, the Duke Margolis Value Based Agreements Advisory Board, the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) and the Foundation for Cell and Gene Medicine (FCGM). He is a member of the Executive Committees of the ARM and FCGM Board of Directors and serves as the Chairman of the ARM Board’s Governance and Operations Committee. Mr. Smith is also a member of the Business Advisory Board of Ocugen, Inc., the Investment Advisory Committee for Venture Investors LLC, Madison, Wisconsin, and the Cell and Gene Therapy Scientific Advisory Board of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation based in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Mr. Smith obtained a B.S. in Neuroscience from the University of Rochester and an M.B.A. in Finance and Corporate Accounting from the William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Rochester, Rochester, New York.
About Citius Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Citius Pharma is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of first-in-class critical care products. The Company’s diversified pipeline includes two late-stage product candidates. At the end of 2023, Citius completed enrollment in a Phase 3 Pivotal superiority trial of Mino-Lok®, an antibiotic lock solution to salvage catheters in patients with catheter-related bloodstream infections. Citius is preparing to resubmit the Biologics License Application for LYMPHIR™, a novel IL-2R immunotherapy for an initial indication in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, in early 2024, and announced plans to form Citius Oncology, a standalone publicly traded company with LYMPHIR as its primary asset. LYMPHIR received orphan drug designation by the FDA for the treatment of CTCL and PTCL. In addition, Citius completed enrollment in its Phase 2b trial of CITI-002 (Halo-Lido), a topical formulation for the relief of hemorrhoids. For more information, please visit www.citiuspharma.com.
