CymaBay Therapeutics Strengthens Management Team with Appointment of Paul Quinlan as General Counsel

NEWARK, Calif., Dec. 04, 2017 -- CymaBay Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:CBAY), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies for liver and other chronic diseases with high unmet need, today announced that Paul T. Quinlan joined the Company as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary.  As CymaBay’s chief legal officer, he will be responsible for all legal affairs, including providing legal advice to CymaBay’s Board of Directors and senior management.

“Paul is a seasoned leader with a significant track record of accomplishment in the life sciences industry,” said Sujal Shah, President and Chief Executive Officer of CymaBay Therapeutics.  “The skills he brings fit well with CymaBay’s strategic vision and growth.  His guidance and counsel will be key as we begin plans to initiate a Phase 3 program for seladelpar in patients with primary biliary cholangitis in 2018.”

“I am excited to be joining CymaBay as we embark on a Phase 3 program to bring seladelpar to patients,” said Mr. Quinlan.  “This is an important time for CymaBay and I look forward to working with the team to execute on our strategy.”

Mr. Quinlan comes to CymaBay from Terravia Holdings, Inc. (formerly Solazyme, Inc.), where since 2010 he has served as General Counsel and Secretary, overseeing the legal function and providing assistance with all aspects of public company law, including biotechnology, compliance, corporate finance and IP law.  From 2005 to 2010, Mr. Quinlan was the General Counsel and Secretary for Metabolex, Inc., where he provided business, strategic and legal advice to the Board and company management.  From 2000 to 2005 Mr. Quinlan was Chief Corporate Securities Counsel for Maxygen, Inc., where he was responsible for all securities law, compliance, commercial and corporate legal work.  From 1994 to 2000, he was an associate at Cravath, Swaine, & Moore, LLP and then Cooley LLP, where he worked with biopharma and medical device companies.  Mr. Quinlan obtained a law degree from Columbia University and a Masters of Science (M.Sc.) in Biophysics from the University of Toronto. 

About CymaBay
CymaBay Therapeutics, Inc. (CBAY) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies for liver and other chronic diseases with high unmet medical need. Seladelpar is a potent and selective agonist of PPARδ, a nuclear receptor that regulates genes involved in bile acid/sterol, lipid and glucose metabolism and inflammation. Seladelpar is currently in development for the treatment of patients with the autoimmune liver disease, primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Two Phase 2 studies of seladelpar established proof of concept in PBC. CymaBay is currently planning to advance development of seladelpar into Phase 3 for PBC and Phase 2 for NASH. Arhalofenate is a potential urate-lowering anti-flare therapy that has been found to reduce painful flares in joints while at the same time lowering serum uric acid by promoting excretion of uric acid by the kidney. This dual action addresses both the signs and symptoms of gout while managing the underlying pathophysiology of hyperuricemia. Arhalofenate has been licensed in the U.S. to Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.  CymaBay retains full development and commercialization rights for arhalofenate outside the U.S.

For additional information about CymaBay visit www.cymabay.com.

Contact:              
Hans Vitzthum
LifeSci Advisors, LLC
212-915-2568
[email protected]