“The continued support of the company’s investors for the host-factor vision reflects both the success of the team thus far and the potential for this program to play an import role improving the lives of patients with HCV,” said Merdad V. Parsey, MD, PhD, 3-V’s Chief Executive Officer.  “The company’s unique program stands out in its ability to combine with direct-acting antivirals as a potential backbone of HCV therapy.”

3-V closed a Preferred Stock financing providing the company with a minimum of $20 million. Existing investors Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and New Enterprise Associates participated equally in the financing.  3-V plans to use the proceeds to advance the HCV program, earlier-stage pipeline opportunities and the company’s screening platform.

Both the target and proprietary molecules in the novel HCV program are the products of 3-V’s internal screening platform and drug discovery team. The company is developing the program to be the foundation of a next-generation, all-oral, well-tolerated HCV regimen.

About 3-V Biosciences

3-V Biosciences, Inc. is a privately-held biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing and ultimately commercializing novel antiviral therapeutics that target host cell factors required for viral infection, thereby avoiding many of the shortcomings of traditional pathogen-directed approaches.  The company is located in Menlo Park, California.

“We are very pleased to have George as the newest member of the 3-V senior management team,” said Merdad V. Parsey, MD, PhD, 3-V’s Chief Executive Officer. “George’s extensive experience in drug discovery and development, as well as virology and host cell biology, brings additional strength to the 3-V team and will further our efforts in this novel area.”

Prior to joining 3-V Biosciences, Dr. Kemble was with MedImmune, Inc., a subsidiary of Astra Zeneca PLC, where he most recently served as Senior Vice President of R&D and Head of Research. During his tenure, Dr. Kemble was responsible for the research and development of multiple products, including the successful launch of FluMist®, the first innovation in influenza vaccines in over 60 years. The research organization for which he was responsible included over 700 scientists in Maryland, California and Cambridge, England, with expertise in research biology, lead generation and translational science in the areas of infectious diseases, oncology, inflammatory, respiratory, autoimmune diseases, neuroscience, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal indications. Dr. Kemble began his research career as a staff scientist at Aviron, which was later acquired by MedImmune. Dr. Kemble received a BS from the University of Santa Clara and a PhD from Stanford University and did his post doctoral training at UCSF, where he worked on a number of different human viruses.

“I’m very excited by the important projects we have in front of us,” said Dr. Kemble. “Our approach to combating these pathogens is highly innovative, and I am looking forward to continuing to grow our organization’s expertise at developing these impactful medicines.”

About 3-V Biosciences
3-V Biosciences, Inc. is a privately held biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing and ultimately commercializing novel antiviral therapeutics that target host cell factors required for viral infection, thereby avoiding many of the shortcomings of traditional pathogen directed approaches. The company is located in Menlo Park, California and is financed by The Column Group, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and New Enterprise Associates. For additional information on 3-V Biosciences, please visit www.3vbio.com.

“Steve’s contributions have been pivotal as a member of the team during his tenure at 3-V,” said Merdad V. Parsey, MD, PhD, 3-V’s Chief Executive Officer. “I look forward to working with him as we continue to build the 3-V team and advance the company’s programs.”

Mr. Brady joined the 3-V team in 2010 as Vice President, Corporate Development, Strategy & Operations, with management responsibility for the company’s business functions, including strategy, finance and legal. Prior to joining the company, Mr. Brady was the Vice President of Corporate Development of Proteolix, Inc. where he had primary responsibility for Proteolix’s business development activities, resulting in the sale of the company to Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Previously, Mr. Brady served as Senior Corporate Counsel at Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where he served in business development, communications and corporate legal capacities. Prior to his tenure with Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Mr. Brady was a Vice President with Lazard Venture Advisors, a division of Lazard Freres & Co., LLC, and an associate in the New York and San Francisco offices of Morrison & Foerster LLP. Mr. Brady received a B.A. in English from the University of Oregon and a LL.M. from the New York University School of Law.

About 3-VBiosciences
3-V Biosciences, Inc. is a privately held biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing and ultimately commercializing novel therapeutics that target host cell factors required for infection, thereby avoiding many of the shortcomings of traditional pathogen directed approaches. The company is located in Menlo Park, California and is financed by The Column Group, Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, and New Enterprise Associates. For additional information on 3-V Biosciences, please visit www.3vbio.com

We are very pleased to have Merdad as the new CEO of 3-V,” said David M. Mott, 3-V’s Executive Chairman, who is returning to his role as Chairman of the Board. “Merdad’s extensive drug development experiences in different therapeutic areas, including infectious disease, coupled with his experience in respiratory medicine, make him an excellent choice to lead the team.”

Prior to joining 3-V Biosciences, Dr. Parsey held positions of increasing responsibility at Genentech, Inc., a member of the Roche Group, most recently as Senior Group Medical Director in Genentech Research and Early Development, overseeing early clinical development in multiple therapeutic areas. Prior to his tenure with Genentech, Dr. Parsey worked at Sepracor, Regeneron and Merck, Inc. He has worked on multiple development and post-marketing programs from initial human trials to NDA/BLA submissions in Respiratory, Inflammation, Virology, Neurology, Ophthalmology and Gastrointestinal diseases. In addition to his work in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, Dr. Parsey was the Director of Critical Care Medicine at the NYU School of Medicine. He completed his MD and PhD at the University of Maryland, his residency in Internal Medicine at Stanford University and his fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Colorado.

3-V has the opportunity, via the modulation of host-factor targets, to fundamentally change anti-viral treatment, and the company’s founders, employees, and investors have created an environment to achieve this goal,” said Dr. Parsey. “I am excited to join the 3-V team and help turn this exciting science into therapies that have the potential to improve the lives of patients.”

About 3-V Biosciences
3-V Biosciences, Inc. is a privately-held biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing and ultimately commercializing novel antiviral therapeutics that target host cell factors required for viral infection, thereby avoiding many of the shortcomings of traditional pathogen-directed approaches. The company is located in Menlo Park, California and is financed by The Column Group, Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, and New Enterprise Associates.

For additional information on 3-V Biosciences, please visit www.3vbio.com.

“We are very pleased to welcome Jim Young to the 3-V Board,” said David M. Mott, 3-V’s Executive Chairman. “Jim’s expertise as a virologist, immunologist, drug developer and company builder make him extraordinarily well suited to assist 3-V in its mission to build the leading host cell factor anti-infective company. Jim has a great nose for science and the experience and wisdom in drug development gained from having been head of R&D at MedImmune for 19 years, from its founding until 2008 following its sale to AstraZeneca for $15.6 billion. Uniquely suited to 3-V’s initial focus, Jim has particular expertise in discovering, developing and commercializing products targeting viruses including influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, human papillomavirus, and cytomegalovirus.”

Most recently, Dr. Young graduated first in his class with a Certificate de Cuisine from Le Cordon Bleu Academie d’Art Culinaire de Paris in Paris, France. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Novavax, Inc. and on the Board of Trustees of The Phillips Collection Museum of Modern Art in Washington, D.C. Previously, Dr. Young was with MedImmune, Inc. from 1988 through 2008 following its sale to AstraZeneca PLC. During his entire tenure, Dr. Young led MedImmune’s research and development organization and was directly involved in the development of approximately twenty clinical programs and commercialization of Synagis®, RespiGam®, CytoGam®, Flumist®, and Ethyol®. At the time of his retirement from MedImmune, Dr. Young oversaw R&D functions including approximately 1,500 people and an annual budget in excess of -600 million. Prior to MedImmune, Dr. Young was a Director in the Department of Molecular Genetics at Smith Kline and French Laboratories. Dr. Young has served on the Boards of Directors of Xencor, Inc., Iomai, Inc. and Arriva Pharmaceuticals, Inc. He received his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from Baylor College of Medicine.

Synagis®, RespiGam®, CytoGam®, Flumist®, and Ethyol® are registered trademarks of MedImmune, LLC, an AstraZeneca PLC company.

About 3-V Biosciences
3-V Biosciences, Inc. is privately-held biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering and developing novel antiviral therapeutics that target host cell factors required for viral infection, thereby avoiding many of the shortcomings of traditional pathogen-directed approaches. The Company is located in Menlo Park, California and is backed by The Column Group, Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, and New Enterprise Associates.

In addition to Dr. Young, 3-V’s Board of Directors includes Ari Helenius, Ph.D., of the ETH Zurich, Gordon Ringold, Ph.D. of University of California Santa Cruz, Richard Klausner, M.D. of The Column Group, Beth Seideberg, M.D. of Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers, and Robert Garland, M.D. and David Mott from New Enterprise Associates.

For additional information on 3-V Biosciences, please visit www.3vbio.com.

“Ed Connor is among the most experienced respiratory infectious disease drug developers in the world, having led the development of RespiGam and Synagis® for respiratory syncytial virus and FluMist® for influenza,” said David M. Mott, 3-V’s Executive Chairman. “He has further extensive experience in infectious disease, immunology and oncology from his role as Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at MedImmune, where he spent 14 years until 2008 following MedImmune’s sale to AstraZeneca.”

At 3-V, Dr. Connor will be responsible for directing all medical activities and will work with the senior management group to select targets, develop target product profiles, create and execute product development plans, and identify and work with key thought leaders. “Ed is a perfect fit for 3-V given our initial focus in respiratory infectious diseases. His knowledge of clinical trial design and execution, and his tremendous regulatory experience, will be immensely valuable as we move our initial compounds forward. In the future, as we expand 3-V’s focus in infectious diseases, Ed’s additional experience across HIV, CMV, HPV and other pathogens will be helpful to determine where to best apply our host-directed approach to infectious disease,” added Mott.

Dr. Connor is currently Director, Office of Investigational Therapeutics, Children’s National Medical Center and a Professor of Pediatrics at the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He will continue in those roles while serving as 3-V’s Chief Medical Officer. Previously, Dr. Connor was Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at MedImmune, Inc., where he served in roles of increasing responsibility over his 14-year tenure. Prior to joining MedImmune, Dr. Connor served as the Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Director of Pediatric HIV Research, and Principal Investigator of the National Institutes of Health-funded pediatric AIDS clinical trials unit at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. During that time, Dr. Connor also served at a national level as Chairman of the Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group and the Perinatal HIV Research Committee. Dr. Connor holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Villanova University in Villanova, PA, and a doctorate from University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Synagis® and FluMist® are registered trademarks of MedImmune, LLC, an AstraZeneca PLC company.

About 3-V Biosciences
3-V Biosciences, Inc. is privately-held biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering and developing novel antiviral therapeutics that target host cell factors required for viral infection, thereby avoiding many of shortcomings of traditional pathogen-directed approaches. The Company is located in Menlo Park, California and is backed by The Column Group, Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, and New Enterprise Associates.

For additional information on 3-V Biosciences, please visit www.3vbio.com.

We are very pleased to welcome Steve Brady to the 3-V team, and to expand Bob McDowell’s responsibilities within the organization, “ said David M. Mott, the company’s Executive Chairman. “Steve’s broad business experience across a spectrum of innovative biopharmaceutical companies and Bob’s extensive background in, and leadership of, small-molecule drug discovery and development, will provide two critical elements as we continue to build and scale 3-V. ”

Stephen R. Brady
Vice President, Corporate Development, Strategy and Operations
Mr. Brady will be responsible for the company’s business functions, including corporate strategic planning, business development, financial operations and legal affairs.

Prior to joining 3-V, Mr. Brady was the Vice President of Corporate Development of Proteolix, Inc. where he had primary responsibility for Proteolix’s business development activities and legal affairs. Proteolix was acquired in 2009 for $851MM by Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Previously, Mr. Brady served as Senior Corporate Counsel at Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where he served in business development, communications and corporate legal capacities. Prior to his tenure with Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Mr. Brady was a Vice President with Lazard Venture Advisors, a division of Lazard Frères & Co., LLC, and an associate in the New York and San Francisco offices of Morrison & Foerster LLP. Mr. Brady received a B.A. in English from the University of Oregon and a LL.M. from the New York University School of Law.

Robert S. McDowell, Ph.D.
Vice President, Research
Dr. McDowell joined 3-V in 2008 as Vice President of Chemistry. In his new role as Vice President of Research, he will be responsible for all preclinical research activities.

Dr. McDowell has 22 years of experience in research and development discovering small molecule drugs in cardiovascular disease, inflammation and oncology, with seven compounds advancing into clinical trials. Prior to joining 3-V, Dr. McDowell was Vice President of Chemistry at Sunesis, where he oversaw drug discovery, translational research, and manufacturing functions. Before joining Sunesis, Dr. McDowell was a Senior Scientist at Genentech where he developed novel strategies for peptidomimetic design that led to multiple compounds advancing into development. Dr. McDowell also led the Structural Chemistry group at Axys Pharmaceuticals and contributed to the Cathepsin K program currently in Phase 3 trials by Merck. Dr. McDowell has authored over 40 peer-reviewed manuscripts and is an inventor on over 20 issued US patents. Dr. McDowell holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley.

New Headquarters and Consolidation of Operations
3-V also announced the opening of its new 20,000 square-foot headquarters and laboratory facility in Menlo Park, California. The new facilities will accommodate expanded medicinal chemistry, biology and pharmacology, as well as target discovery and validation activities previously conducted in its subsidiary in Zurich, Switzerland. “Having all corporate functions and R&D operations at one location will enhance collaboration, accelerate decision making and continue to build the culture of innovation at 3-V,” said Mr. Mott.

About 3-V Biosciences
3-V Biosciences, Inc. is privately-held biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering and developing novel antiviral therapeutics that target the host cell factors required for viral infection, thereby avoiding many of shortcomings of traditional pathogen-directed approaches.

For additional information on 3-V Biosciences, please visit www.3vbio.com.