PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Knopp Biosciences LLC, a privately held drug discovery and development company focused on delivering breakthrough treatments for inflammatory and neurological diseases of high unmet need, today announced the appointment of pharmaceutical industry veteran Mark Kreston as its Chief Commercial Officer. Kreston has more than 30 years of experience with global pharmaceutical companies spanning all phases of commercialization.

In his new role, Kreston will establish and execute global commercialization strategies and plans across the Knopp enterprise, with a particular focus on the Company’s lead program, dexpramipexole, an investigational drug candidate poised to enter Phase 3 trials in hypereosinophilic syndrome and Phase 2 trials in eosinophilic asthma. He will also be responsible for leading Knopp’s corporate strategy and business development activities, and will play a key role in the Company’s capital strategy.

“We are thrilled to welcome Mark to the Knopp team at this pivotal moment in our corporate development,” said Michael Bozik, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Knopp. “His track record of launching major pharmaceutical products, including several blockbuster brands in the immunology sector, and his success in marketing oral products for conditions dominated by established biologics, will be invaluable as we advance dexpramipexole as a potential new treatment for eosinophil-associated diseases.”

Prior to joining Knopp, Kreston was corporate VP of Global Marketing, Inflammation & Immunology at Celgene, where he led the launch of Otezla for psoriasis. Before that, he served as worldwide VP of Global Marketing, Immunology at Johnson & Johnson, where he helped engineer global expansion of the company’s immunology business for Remicade and Stelara. Earlier, at Bristol-Myers Squibb, he was worldwide VP of Global Marketing, Immunology, responsible for launching Orencia for rheumatoid arthritis, and served as President of Consumer Medicines. Early in his career, he was product manager for Tylenol and Pepcid at McNeil Consumer Healthcare. Kreston holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management.

ABOUT KNOPP BIOSCIENCES LLC

Knopp Biosciences, based in Pittsburgh, PA, USA, is a privately held drug discovery and development company focused on delivering breakthrough treatments for inflammatory and neurological diseases of high unmet need. Knopp’s clinical-stage small molecule, dexpramipexole, is entering Phase 3 clinical studies in hypereosinophilic syndrome and Phase 2 clinical studies in eosinophilic asthma. Knopp’s preclinical Kv7 platform is directed to small molecule treatments for neonatal epileptic encephalopathy, other rare epilepsies, tinnitus, and neuropathic pain. Please visit www.knoppbio.com.