Summit Therapeutics (SMMT) Appoints Urte Gayko to its Board

Summit Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: SMMT) today announced that Dr. Urte Gayko, PhD, has been appointed to our Board of Directors, effective immediately. Dr. Gayko is currently the Senior Vice President of Drug Development & Regulatory Affairs at Nektar Therapeutics.

Dr. Gayko previously served as the Global Head of Regulatory Affairs and Pharmacovigilance at Pharmacyclics, Inc., and has over 20 years of experience in areas encompassing regulatory and clinical development ranging from pre-commercial entities to large biopharmaceutical companies, including Amgen and AbbVie. Dr. Gayko performed her PhD research in molecular and cellular biology at Harvard University.

“As we continue to mature and build a viable, long-lasting organization poised to fulfill our mission, Urte’s regulatory and clinical savvy and experience will provide key counsel to Team Summit and our world-class executives,” said Robert W. Duggan, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Summit. “As we continue to develop our pipeline molecules, contemplate adding new drugs to our pipeline, and look towards commercializing these important medicinal therapies, adding Urte strengthens our already impressive Board as we take the next step in our journey to make a meaningful impact on the health and lives of patients facing serious unmet medical needs.”

“Having worked with Urte previously and benefiting from her incredible expertise in navigating regulatory approvals across the largest agencies in the world, Bob and I are honored to add Urte as a member of our Board,” added Dr. Maky Zanganeh, Chief Operating Officer and a member of Summit’s Board of Directors. “We continue to progress ridinilazole’s clinical development, and we are seeking to expand our pipeline product portfolio into additional therapeutic areas that target the cause or effect of the disease, while sparing the rest of the human body and minimizing the trauma experienced by patients. Urte’s level-handed experience in working through the complex process of successfully developing a drug and coordinating with regulatory agencies, ultimately seeking their approval for commercialization, will provide incredible value in our journey.”

“Summit emphasizes taking full responsibility for its mission to design, develop, gain approval, and commercialize its medicinal therapies in order to meaningfully improve the quality and potential duration of patients’ lives. This mindset and focus across the full drug development process, I believe, are critical to breaking through and making a meaningful impact on the healthcare ecosystem,” stated Dr. Gayko. “Few things are more rewarding in life than seeing beneficial impacts of the work of bringing a drug through the clinical development and regulatory approval process in such a manner that changes the lives of the patients who needed the medicinal therapy most. I am excited to get the opportunity to work alongside Bob and Maky again and help Team Summit build the organization into a leader in improving the lives of patients with serious unmet medical needs.”

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