Recce Pharmaceuticals Adds Biotech Veteran Alan W. Dunton M.D. to its Board of Directors

SYDNEY, Australia, July 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Recce Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: RCE) (Company), the Company developing new classes of synthetic anti-infectives, today announced the appointment of Alan W. Dunton, M.D., to its Board of Directors as an independent Non-Executive Director and as a member of the Company’s Audit & Risk and Remuneration & Nomination Committees.

“On behalf of all the team at Recce, we welcome Dr. Dunton to our Board of Directors,” stated Dr. John Prendergast, Recce Pharmaceuticals Non-Executive Chairman. “Alan joins us at a critical time as we move into the second half of 2020, where we anticipate a number of human clinical trials evaluating our broad-spectrum novel antibiotic, RECCE^® 327. In addition, we will continue to investigate the efficacy of our synthetic compounds against SARS-CoV-2 among other key clinical development milestones. Alan’s biopharmaceutical industry experience with large pharma R&D organizations and public biotechnology companies, particularly commercialization of three antibiotics, two of which are now considered to be ‘blockbuster’ drugs, will be invaluable to Recce. We look forward to his guidance and counsel.”

Dr. Dunton brings more than three decades of senior pharmaceutical experience leading clinical research development efforts, advancing drug candidates including a number of blockbuster antibiotics, through regulatory review and commercialization at fortune 500 companies including Johnson & Johnson and Roche.

Dr. Dunton said, "I am pleased to join Recce's Board at such a pivotal time in the Company’s development, as its new classes of synthetic anti-infectives continue to show significant promise in tackling the global health problems of antibiotic resistant superbugs and emerging viral pathogens. I look forward to supporting the Company in advancing its pipeline candidates through the clinic."

Dr. Dunton has held leadership positions at various biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies including serving as president and chief executive officer at Panacos Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Metaphore Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and chief operating officer at Emisphere Technologies, Inc. Dr. Dunton served in several positions at Johnson & Johnson including president and managing director at the Janssen Research Foundation, where he was responsible for leading over 2,000 professionals worldwide, and prior to this as vice president of global clinical research and development at the R.W. Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute. Dr. Dunton earned his medical degree from New York University School of Medicine following his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Dr. Dunton then completed his fellowship in clinical pharmacology at New York Hospital/Cornell University Medical Center and, in 1987, was awarded The Nellie Westerman Prize from the American Federation for Clinical Research (AFCR) for his work in medical ethics. He currently serves on the boards of Oragenics, Inc., Palatin Technologies, Inc., Cormedix, Inc., and Regeneus, Ltd., an Australian clinical-stage company in the field of regenerative medicine.

About Recce Pharmaceuticals Ltd

Recce Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: RCE) is pioneering the development and commercialization of new classes of synthetic anti-infectives designed to address the urgent global health problems of antibiotic resistant superbugs and emerging viral pathogens.

Recce antibiotics are unique – their potency does not diminish even with repeated use, a common failure associated with existing antibiotics and their propensity to rapidly succumb to resistant superbugs.

Patented lead candidate RECCE^® 327, wholly owned and manufactured in Australia, has been developed for the treatment of blood infections and sepsis derived from E. coli and S. aureus bacteria – including their superbug forms.

The FDA has awarded RECCE^® 327 Qualified Infectious Disease Product designation under the Generating Antibiotic Initiatives Now (GAIN) Act – labelling it for Fast Track Designation, plus 10 years of market exclusivity post approval.

Recce wholly owns its automated manufacturing, ready to support first-in-human clinical trials. Recce’s anti-infective pipeline seeks to exploit the unique capabilities of RECCE^® technologies targeting synergistic, unmet medical needs.