NORCROSS, Ga., March 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Galectin Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: GALT), the leading developer of therapeutics that target galectin proteins, today announced the appointment of Khurram Jamil, M.D. as Vice President, Clinical Development. Dr. Jamil brings to Galectin almost two decades of experience in clinical development across the biotechnology industry.

“We are pleased to welcome Khurram to the Galectin team at such a meaningful time of our development program” said Pol F. Boudes, M.D., Chief Medical Officer. “His breadth of expertise in clinical development, especially in hepatology and liver cirrhosis, along with his experience with regulatory interactions and successful New Drug Registration, will be critical as the adaptive Phase 2b/3 NAVIGATE trial of belapectin in patients with NASH cirrhosis progresses towards a key inflection point. The trial is currently on track with Phase 2b interim results expected in the fourth quarter of 2024. Our entire Team at Galectin looks forward to working closely with Khurram as we continue to progress our pipeline.”

“I am delighted to join Galectin and work towards the goal of improving the lives of patients with liver cirrhosis and difficult to treat cancers,” commented Dr. Jamil. “The results belapectin demonstrated in clinical trials thus far are very compelling. I am excited to leverage my experience in leading clinical development programs from early stages through regulatory approval in supporting the development of belapectin.”

Prior to joining Galectin, Dr. Jamil was the Vice President Hepatology in the critical care division of Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals where he led the development teams that achieved approval of two compounds in the U.S. and Japan, conducted trials in liver cirrhosis and its complications, and designed and executed the largest trial in Hepatorenal Syndrome. Earlier in his career he held positions in medical affairs in Ikaria Inc and Organon Pharmaceuticals USA where he led successful launches of first-in-class therapies and developed strategies to assess disease burden, cost-effectiveness, and value proposition of approved drugs in new therapeutic areas. He holds 7 patents, gave over 95 poster and oral presentations and published over 40 manuscripts, including the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Jamil is board certified in General Surgery, he completed his residency in Seaton Hall University, NJ, and earned his M.B.B.S. from King Edward Medical University at Lahore, Pakistan.

About Galectin Therapeutics

Galectin Therapeutics is dedicated to developing novel therapies to improve the lives of patients with chronic liver disease and cancer. Galectin’s lead drug belapectin (formerly known as GR-MD-02) is a carbohydrate-based drug that inhibits the galectin-3 protein, which is directly involved in multiple inflammatory, fibrotic, and malignant diseases, for which it has Fast Track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The lead development program is in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with cirrhosis, the most advanced form of NASH-related fibrosis. This is the most common liver disease and one of the largest drug development opportunities available today. Additional development programs are in treatment of combination immunotherapy for advanced melanoma and other malignancies. Advancement of these additional clinical programs is largely dependent on finding a suitable partner. Galectin seeks to leverage extensive scientific and development expertise as well as established relationships with external sources to achieve cost-effective and efficient development. Additional information is available at www.galectintherapeutics.com. 

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to future events or future financial performance, and use words such as “may,” “estimate,” “could,” “expect” and others. They are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the statements. These statements include those regarding the hope that Galectin’s development program for belapectin will lead to the first therapy for the treatment of fatty liver disease with cirrhosis and those regarding the hope that our lead compounds will be successful in cancer immunotherapy and in other therapeutic indications. Factors that could cause actual performance to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include, among others, that trial endpoints required by the FDA may not be achieved; Galectin may not be successful in developing effective treatments and/or obtaining the requisite approvals for the use of belapectin or any of its other drugs in development; the Company may not be successful in scaling up manufacturing and meeting requirements related to chemistry, manufacturing and control matters; the Company’s current clinical trial and any future clinical studies as modified to meet the requirements of the FDA may not produce positive results in a timely fashion, if at all, and could require larger and longer trials, which would be time consuming and costly; plans regarding development, approval and marketing of any of Galectin’s drugs are subject to change at any time based on the changing needs of the Company as determined by management and regulatory agencies; regardless of the results of any of its development programs, Galectin may be unsuccessful in developing partnerships with other companies or raising additional capital that would allow it to further develop and/or fund any studies or trials. Galectin has incurred operating losses since inception, and its ability to successfully develop and market drugs may be impacted by its ability to manage costs and finance continuing operations. Global factors such as coronavirus may continue to impact NASH patient populations around the globe and slow trial enrollment and prolong the duration of the trial and significantly impact associated costs. For a discussion of additional factors impacting Galectin’s business, see the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, and subsequent filings with the SEC. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Although subsequent events may cause its views to change, management disclaims any obligation to update forward-looking statements.

Company Contact:

Jack Callicutt, Chief Financial Officer

(678) 620-3186

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Investors Relations Contacts:

Kevin Gardner

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Chris Calabrese

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Galectin Therapeutics and its associated logo is a registered trademark of Galectin Therapeutics Inc. Belapectin is the USAN assigned name for Galectin Therapeutics’ galectin-3 inhibitor belapectin (GR-MD-02).