Codexis Names Pharmaceutical Industry Veteran Bernard J. Kelley Chairman of the Board
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Dec. 01, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Codexis, Inc. (NASDAQ:CDXS), a leading protein engineering company, announces that Bernard J. Kelley has been named Chairman of the Board, effective November 29, 2016. Mr. Kelley has served as a Director of Codexis since April 2004. He has succeeded former Board Chairman Thomas Baruch, who will continue as a Director and has been named Codexis Chairman Emeritus, an honorary title to recognize his contributions to the company.
“Bernie’s service on our Board of Directors, as well as his impressive background in pharmaceutical manufacturing along with senior management and financial operations acumen have been instrumental in establishing Codexis as a leader in enzyme development,” said Mr. Baruch. “We are delighted that as Chairman of the Board he will continue to build and guide our strategic vision to grow our current lines of business and to expand into adjacent markets.”
“Tom Baruch has been instrumental in leading the Board since Codexis was formed over fourteen years ago, and most recently oversaw the company’s transformational growth back into the pharmaceutical sector,” said John Nicols, Codexis President and CEO. “On behalf of our entire organization, I want to recognize and thank Tom for his legacy of leadership at Codexis.”
Prior to joining the Codexis Board, Mr. Kelley was President of the Merck Manufacturing Division where he was responsible for chemical, pharmaceutical and biological manufacturing and directed the activities of corporate engineering and global procurement. He also served as a member of the Merck Management Committee through his retirement in 2003. Mr. Kelley previously served as a Director of MAP Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on developing inhalation-based therapies, as well as a Director of Aegis Analytical Corporation, an enterprise software company. He holds a B.S. in engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy.
About CodeEvolver® Protein Engineering Platform Technology
Codexis’ proprietary CodeEvolver® protein engineering platform enables the rapid development of custom-designed enzymes that are highly optimized for a specific function. The CodeEvolver® platform is comprised of proprietary methods for the optimization of proteins through the design and generation of diverse genetic libraries, automated screening techniques, algorithms for the interpretation of screening data and predictive modelling. The Codexis CodeEvolver® platform technology is covered by more than 225 issued patents and pending patent applications worldwide.
About Codexis, Inc.
Codexis, Inc. is a leading protein engineering company that applies its technology to the development of biocatalysts for commercial manufacture of pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals. Codexis’ proven technology enables implementation of biocatalytic solutions to meet customer needs for rapid, cost-effective and sustainable manufacturing. For more information, see www.codexis.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to the election of Bernard J. Kelley as Chairman of the Board of Directors and the expectation of Codexis to grow its current lines of business and to expand into adjacent markets. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are, in some cases, beyond Codexis’ control and that could materially affect actual results. Factors that could materially affect actual results include Codexis’ dependence on its licensees and collaborators; Codexis’ dependence on a limited number of products and customers in its pharmaceutical business; potential adverse effects to Codexis’ business if its customers’ pharmaceutical products are not received well in the markets; Codexis’ ability to deploy its technology platform in new market spaces; Codexis’ dependence on key personnel; Codexis’ ability to compete may decline if it loses some of its intellectual property rights; third party claims that Codexis infringes third party intellectual property rights; and Codexis could face increased competition if third parties misappropriate Codexis biocatalysts. Additional factors that could materially affect actual results can be found in Codexis’ Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 8, 2016 and in Codexis’ Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 8, 2016, including, in each case, under the caption “Risk Factors.” Codexis expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
Codexis Contacts:
Investors
LHA
Jody Cain, 310-691-7100
jcain@lhai.com
Media
That’s Nice LLC
Guy Tiene, 212-366-4455
Guy@thatsnice.com
Released December 1, 2016