Mirna Therapeutics Appoints Casi DeYoung as Chief Business Officer

 

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mirna Therapeutics (Mirna), a private, clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of microRNA-based oncology therapeutics, today announced Casi DeYoung has joined the company as chief business officer. Ms. DeYoung will be responsible for the company's corporate development and business development efforts, including planning and execution of strategic growth initiatives and external partnerships.

"We are thrilled to have Casi join the Mirna team. She brings a wealth of industry and business development experience to the team"
"We are thrilled to have Casi join the Mirna team. She brings a wealth of industry and business development experience to the team," said Paul Lammers, M.D., president and chief executive officer of Mirna. "She will play a vital role at Mirna as we continue to grow and assess potential partnership opportunities to support the expansion of our pipeline and clinical development of MRX34, the first microRNA replacement therapy in clinical trials."

"I am pleased to be joining the team at such an exciting time for Mirna. The recent advances in the microRNA field and the ongoing Phase I trial of MRX34 further establish the company as an industry leader in microRNA replacement therapies and provide many new business and partnership opportunities," said Ms. DeYoung.

Ms. DeYoung served as vice president of Business Development at Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. since 2008, where she was responsible for negotiating and overseeing all corporate partnerships. Prior to Reata Pharmaceuticals, she served as vice president of Business Development at ODC Therapy, Inc., an immunotherapy company founded by the Baylor Health Care System and Baylor Research Institute. Ms. DeYoung has also served in various roles at EMD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the U.S. affiliate of Merck KGaA, including as director of Global Oncology Operations. Ms. DeYoung received an M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and a B.S. in Chemistry from Southwestern University.

About Mirna Therapeutics, Inc.

Mirna Therapeutics, Inc. (Mirna) is a private biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of microRNA (miRNA) based therapeutics. In 2013, the Company was the first to launch a clinical trial of a miRNA mimic (mimetic) drug candidate for the treatment of cancer. Mirna's intellectual property portfolio contains numerous issued patents and patent applications, pertaining to more than 300 miRNAs with applications in oncology and other diseases. Oncology-directed miRNAs include key tumor suppressors in cancer, such as miR-34 and let-7, which inhibited tumor growth in a number of preclinical studies. The Company, founded in 2007 and located in Austin, TX, has received significant funding from Sofinnova Ventures, New Enterprise Associates, Pfizer Venture Investments and other private investors. Mirna is also funded by the State of Texas, both through the State's Emerging Technology Fund, and from the CPRIT.

For more information, visit www.mirnarx.com.

Contacts

For Mirna Therapeutics, Inc.
Kelly France, Ph.D., 415-946-1076
[email protected]