BTAI - BioXcel Therapeutics Strengthens Clinical Development Leadership to Advance Late-Stage Programs | Benzinga
Vincent J. O'Neill, M.D., promoted to Executive Vice President, Chief of Product Development and Medical Officer
Rajiv Patni, M.D., appointed Strategic Clinical Advisor to CEO and Board of Directors
NEW HAVEN, Conn., Dec. 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:BTAI), a biopharmaceutical company utilizing artificial intelligence to develop transformative medicines in neuroscience and immuno-oncology, today announced a key executive promotion and a clinical advisor appointment as part of the Company's strategic reprioritization focused on the advancement of its late-stage clinical programs and emerging pipeline candidates.
Vincent J. O'Neill, M.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Research & Development Officer of OnkosXcel Therapeutics, has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Chief of Product Development and Medical Officer of BioXcel Therapeutics. He will lead clinical, regulatory and medical affairs to provide a fully integrated approach to product development. Additionally, Rajiv Patni, M.D., has been appointed to the newly created position of Strategic Clinical Advisor to the BioXcel Therapeutics Chief Executive Officer and Board of Directors.
"Our strategic focus has shifted to expanding the market opportunities for our lead program BXCL501 in the at-home setting, which we believe represent key value drivers for the Company. We are adding to the strength of our existing team and expanding our clinical leadership in line with our prioritization of late-stage TRANQUILITY and SERENITY III programs for BXCL501's potential use to treat Alzheimer's, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia-related agitation," said Vimal Mehta, Ph.D., CEO of BioXcel Therapeutics. "We are also excited to advance development candidates identified through our AI-driven approach as part of our efforts to build a sustainable R&D pipeline. The promotion of Vince and the appointment of Rajiv are in support of our clinical execution, and we welcome their strong leadership as we look to progress in 2024."
Vincent J. O'Neill, M.D.: Executive Vice President, Chief of Product Development and Medical Officer
Dr. O'Neill has significant expertise in therapeutic and diagnostic product development. He joined BioXcel Therapeutics in 2017 as Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, later Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, and played an instrumental role in the Company's SERENITY I and II trials of BXCL501, which contributed to the FDA approval of IGALMI™ (dexmedetomidine) sublingual film for the acute treatment of agitation associated with schizophrenia and bipolar I or II disorder in adults. He also led the Company's immuno-oncology program and the successful human proof of concept trials for BXCL701, an investigational, orally administered systemic innate immune activator for the treatment of refractory forms of prostate cancer. In 2022, he became Senior Vice President and Chief Research & Development Officer of the Company's wholly owned OnkosXcel Therapeutics subsidiary.
Prior to joining BioXcel Therapeutics, Dr. O'Neill held senior leadership roles at several leading global pharmaceutical companies, including Sanofi, Genentech, and GlaxoSmithKline. Most recently, he served as Chief Medical Officer at Mirna Therapeutics and Exosome Diagnostics. He was instrumental in the expanded approvals of Genentech's oncology therapeutics, Avastin® and Tarceva®. At GSK, he oversaw the signal transduction discovery unit and led the first IND application and clinical trial of the MEK inhibitor, MEKINIST®. Dr. O'Neill has authored several peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. He received his M.D. and B.Sc. in Molecular Pathology from the University of Glasgow, Scotland, and is a member of the Royal College of Physicians.
Rajiv Patni, M.D.: Strategic Clinical Advisor to the BioXcel Therapeutics CEO and Board of Directors
Dr. Patni was Chief Research and Development Officer at Reata Pharmaceuticals, a commercial-stage company recently acquired by Biogen. Previously, ...