Summit Therapeutics appoints Prominent Biotech Attorney and Advisor Kenneth A. Clark to its Board of Directors

Picture credit: globenewswire

Cambridge, Massachusetts – SummitTherapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: SMMT) today announced that Kenneth A. Clark, JD, has been appointed to our Board of Directors, effective immediately. Mr. Clark is currently a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (WSGR) based out of the firm’s Palo Alto, CA, office.

At WSGR, Ken advises biotech companies in strategic partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, and financing transactions, in addition to a range of other matters. He has previously served as a member of the boards of directors for multiple publicly traded companies, including Pulse BioSciences, Inc. and Pharmacyclics, Inc., in addition to serving two terms on WSGR’s Board of Directors. Ken received his undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University and earned his juris doctorate from the University of Texas School of Law. 

“Ken’s strategic expertise, particularly with his vast experience as a leader and advisor in the biotech space, will provide immeasurable value to Summit as we continue to advance the particularly aggressive goals for our company,” said Robert W. Duggan, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Summit. “Ken’sextensive and unique expertise will help guide Team Summit’s world-class executives in carrying out our strategic objectives. Ken has over 35 years of experience across biotech companies large and small from pre-clinical to commercial entities: we are excited forKen to join our efforts to make a positive, meaningful impact on the health of patients facing serious unmet medical needs.”

“Bob and I have known Ken for more than15 years and have had the pleasure of working with him throughout this time, including two major transactions at Pharmacyclics. One received an award as the best partnership in 2011, and the other was Pharmacyclics’ $21B acquisition by AbbVie, one of the largest bio/pharma acquisitions of its kind. His knowledge and advice in the field are remarkable. We are proud to have him as a member of our Board going forward,” added Dr. Maky Zanganeh, Chief Operating Officer and a member of Summit’s Board of Directors. “As we have discussed, we have the goal of 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. Ken will serve as a trusted advisor in this process, and his vast experience will be an asset in our journey.”

“The mission of Summit to meaningfully improve the quality and potential duration of patients’ lives, while acting as an ally to physicians and the greater healthcare ecosystem, is one I admire and am excited to be a part of going forward,” stated Mr. Clark. “I look forward to again working with Bob and Maky, as well as some of the pre-eminent leaders at Team Summit, in building the company into an organization that achieves its first priority: making a positive impact on society by taking full responsibility for bringing medicinal therapies to patients suffering from unmet medical needs.”

In conjunction with Mr. Clark’s appointment, Ramses Erdtmannhas agreed to make his Summit board seat available. “We would like to thank Ramses for his meaningful contributions to our board and Team Summit over the past two years. Ramses has provided very valuable counsel to the leadership of Team Summit and to me personally, and we are a better organization today as a result of his presence,” added Mr. Duggan. “We wish Ramses the best of success as he pursues his additional executive endeavors. We have no doubt he intends to make a great impact in the biopharmaceutical space.”