GlycoMimetics, Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Harout Semerjian as chief executive officer (CEO), effective August 6, 2021, to succeed retiring Founding CEO Rachel King. Mrs. King, who has served as CEO for 18 years, has decided to retire for personal reasons and will continue her involvement with the company through her role on the Board of Directors and serving as an advisor during this transition. Mr. Semerjian is a global biopharmaceutical veteran. Over the last 25 years, he acquired extensive US, European and international commercialization experience having led multiple successful hematology/oncology product launches, including preparation for the launch of midostaurin in AML. During his 16-year tenure at Novartis, Mr. Semerjian held both strategic and operational leadership roles including US Hematology franchise head. He then served as EVP, chief commercial officer at Ipsen where he was accountable for worldwide commercialization and portfolio strategy. Most recently, he briefly served as CEO of Immunomedics before its sale to Gilead Sciences, Inc.
GlycoMimetics, Inc. is a late clinical-stage biotechnology company discovering and developing glycobiology-based therapies for cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and for inflammatory diseases. It is developing a pipeline of glycomimetics, which are small molecules that mimic the structure of carbohydrates involved in biological processes, to inhibit disease-related functions of carbohydrates, such as the roles they play in inflammation, cancer and infection. Its drug candidates include Uproleselan, GMI-1687, Galectin Antagonists and GMI-1359. It is developing Uproleselan, a specific E-selectin antagonist, to be used in combination with chemotherapy to treat patients with AML, a life-threatening hematologic cancer, and potentially other hematologic cancers. It has designed an antagonist of E-selectin, GMI-1687, that is suitable for subcutaneous administration. GMI-1359 is a drug candidate that simultaneously targets both E-selectin and a chemokine receptor (CXCR4).