WALTHAM, Mass. and BOULDER, Colo., May 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cogent Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: COGT), a biotechnology company focused on developing precision therapies for genetically defined diseases, today announced the appointment of Cole Pinnow as Chief Commercial Officer. Mr. Pinnow is a leader in the biopharmaceutical industry with an impressive track record in commercial strategy, including several successful product launches. At Cogent, he will be responsible for building and leading the commercial team including sales, marketing, access, and commercial operations. A key priority will be preparing the company for the potential commercial launch of bezuclastinib, for patients with systemic mastocytosis (SM) or Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GIST).
“We are thrilled to welcome Cole to our leadership team, as we begin preparations for commercializing bezuclastinib, a product we believe has clear potential to become a standard of care treatment for patients with systemic mastocytosis and advanced GIST,” said Andrew Robbins, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Cole’s broad commercial knowledge and leadership experience will be invaluable in helping Cogent expand from a research and development company to a fully-integrated commercial organization.”
“I have been impressed with Cogent’s rapid progress developing bezuclastinib in multiple patient populations,” said Mr. Pinnow. “I look forward to building a capable commercial team ahead of Cogent’s first potential product launch, and to working across the organization to help bring bezuclastinib to patients.”
Mr. Pinnow has 25 years of global and U.S. commercial experience, including multiple product launches as well as new product planning, sales and acquisitions. Mr. Pinnow joins Cogent from Pfizer, where he has held increasing roles of responsibility, including President and Managing Director of Pfizer Canada and most recently as Global Franchise Lead, Genitourinary and Breast Cancer Business where he led a global commercial team accountable for the growth of a $5B innovative cancer portfolio in prostate, kidney, bladder and breast therapies. Prior to Pfizer, he held several leadership roles with Hospira and founded the company’s commercial development organization. Mr. Pinnow began his pharmaceutical career as a scientist at Abbott Laboratories.
Mr. Pinnow holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from St. Olaf College in Minnesota and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Management as well as a Master of Sciences degree in Microbiology from Iowa State University.
Inducement Equity Award
In connection with Mr. Pinnow’s appointment, Cogent is granting Mr. Pinnow “inducement” equity awards in accordance with Listing Rule 5635(c)(4) of the corporate governance rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market. These awards were approved by the Compensation Committee of Cogent’s Board of Directors, made up entirely of independent directors, as an inducement material to Mr. Pinnow entering into employment with Cogent. The awards consist of (i) nonqualified options to purchase 525,000 shares of Cogent common stock with a 10-year term, an exercise price equal to the closing price of Cogent’s common stock on the first day of Mr. Pinnow’s employment, and a 4-year vesting schedule with 25% vesting on the 1-year anniversary of the grant date and the remainder vesting in equal monthly installments over the subsequent 36 months, and (ii) up to 214,000 performance-based restricted stock units that are part of a performance equity program that the Cogent executive team participates in and is eligible to vest, if at all, in February 2026 based upon the achievement of specified stock price hurdles and/or research and development milestones during the performance period.
About Cogent Biosciences, Inc.
Cogent Biosciences is a biotechnology company focused on developing precision therapies for genetically defined diseases. The most advanced clinical program, bezuclastinib, is a selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor that is designed to potently inhibit the KIT D816V mutation as well as other mutations in KIT exon 17. KIT D816V is responsible for driving systemic mastocytosis, a serious disease caused by unchecked proliferation of mast cells. Exon 17 mutations are also found in patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), a type of cancer with strong dependence on oncogenic KIT signaling. In addition to bezuclastinib, the Cogent Research Team is developing a portfolio of novel targeted therapies to help patients fighting serious, genetically driven diseases initially targeting mutations in FGFR2, ErbB2 and PI3Kα. Cogent Biosciences is based in Waltham, MA and Boulder, CO. Visit our website for more information at www.cogentbio.com. Follow Cogent Biosciences on social media: X (formerly known as Twitter) and LinkedIn. Information that may be important to investors will be routinely posted on our website and X.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the potential commercial launch of bezuclastinib for patients with SM or GIST, the potential for bezuclastinib to become a standard of care treatment for patients with SM and advanced GIST, the company’s expectations of building a capable commercial team ahead of its first potential product launch, and Mr. Pinnow’s anticipated contributions to the company. The use of words such as, but not limited to, “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” or “would” and similar words expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, our clinical results, the rate of enrollment in our clinical trials and other future conditions. New risks and uncertainties may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all risks and uncertainties. No representations or warranties (expressed or implied) are made about the accuracy of any such forward-looking statements. We may not actually achieve the forecasts or milestones disclosed in our forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of material risks and uncertainties including but not limited to those set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in Cogent’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in our subsequent filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it was made. Neither we, nor our affiliates, advisors or representatives, undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof.
Contact:
Christi Waarich
Senior Director, Investor Relations
[email protected]
617-830-1653
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