Spero Therapeutics Announces Appointment of Kamal Hamed, MD, MPH, MBA, as Chief Medical Officer

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spero Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPRO) today announced the appointment of Kamal Hamed, MD, MPH, MBA, as Chief Medical Officer (CMO).

“Kamal joins Spero with an impressive track record of building and leading successful anti-infective franchises,” said Ankit Mahadevia, MD, Chief Executive Officer of Spero Therapeutics. “This, together with his unique blend of experience within the biotech industry, at global pharmaceutical companies, and as an infectious disease physician, make him the ideal candidate to join Spero as CMO. I am thrilled to have Kamal on our management team and look forward to working together.”   

Dr. Hamed has over 20 years of experience leading various anti-infective clinical development programs in antibacterials, antivirals, antimalarials, and antifungals. Before joining Spero, he was the CMO at Lysovant Sciences, a subsidiary of Roivant Sciences. Prior to his time at Lysovant, Dr. Hamed was Head of Clinical Development & Medical Affairs at Basilea Pharmaceutica. Earlier in his career, he held senior positions in clinical development and medical affairs at Novartis (including Therapeutic Area Head for Anti-infectives), Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Bayer, spearheading the successful global development, approval, and post-marketing medical affairs support of multiple anti-infective products.

Prior to joining the pharmaceutical industry, Dr. Hamed worked as an academic physician for 14 years. He holds an MD degree from the American University of Beirut, an MPH degree from Johns Hopkins University, and an MBA degree from the University of South Florida. Dr. Hamed completed a residency in Internal Medicine at UMDNJ–Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Stanford University School of Medicine. He is a fellow of both the American College of Physicians and the Infectious Diseases Society of America and has published over 110 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals.

Dr. Hamed commented, “The opportunity to lead the development of Spero’s pipeline programs is exciting, as each targets an urgent unmet need in the antibiotic space. If successful, these programs may provide clear benefits, not only to patients, but to the entire healthcare system. Spero’s lead candidate, SPR720, has the potential to be the only novel first-line oral treatment for nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease. SPR206 may be able to provide a new treatment paradigm for multi-drug resistant Gram-negative infections. Finally, tebipenem HBr has proven itself to be worthy of ongoing study and clinical development, given the market size for complicated urinary tract infection and the unmet patient need.”

About Spero Therapeutics
Spero Therapeutics is a multi-asset, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on identifying, developing, and commercializing novel treatments for bacterial infections, including multi-drug resistant bacterial infections and rare diseases.

• Spero Therapeutics is developing SPR720 as a novel oral therapy candidate for the treatment of a rare, orphan pulmonary disease caused by non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections.
   
• Spero Therapeutics also has an IV-administered next generation polymyxin product candidate, SPR206, developed from its potentiator platform, which is in development to treat multi-drug resistant Gram-negative infections in the hospital setting.

• Tebipenem HBr is an investigational drug in the United States being developed for the treatment of cUTI, including pyelonephritis, caused by certain microorganisms, in adult patients who have limited treatment options; tebipenem HBr is not FDA-approved.
  

For more information, visit https://sperotherapeutics.com.

Forward Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the potential regulatory path forward for tebipenem HBr and the potential approval of tebipenem HBr by the FDA and the timing thereof; the potential value of tebipenem HBr; the future development and commercialization of SPR720, SPR206, and tebipenem HBr; the design, initiation, timing, progress and results of Spero’s preclinical studies and clinical trials and its research and development programs; and management’s assessment of the results of such preclinical studies and clinical trials. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “aim,” “anticipate,” “could,” “intent,” “target,” “project,” “contemplate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including whether the FDA will ultimately approve tebipenem HBr and, if so, the timing of any such approval; whether the FDA will require any additional clinical data or place labeling restrictions on the use of tebipenem HBr that would add costs for Spero, delay approval and/or reduce the commercial prospects of tebipenem HBr; whether any third parties would be interested in partnering with Spero to pursue continued efforts to obtain FDA approval of tebipenem HBr, or acquiring rights to the tebipenem HBr program from Spero through a partnership arrangement; the COVID-19 pandemic; Spero’s need for additional funding; the risk that Spero may not be able to address the FDA's concerns with respect to tebipenem HBr; the lengthy, expensive, and uncertain process of clinical drug development for SPR720 and SPR206; whether results obtained in preclinical studies and clinical trials will be indicative of results obtained in future clinical trials; Spero’s reliance on third parties to manufacture, develop, and commercialize its product candidates, if approved; the ability to commercialize Spero’s product candidates, if approved; Spero’s ability to retain key personnel; whether Spero’s cash resources will be sufficient to fund its continuing operations for the periods and/or trials anticipated; and other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” set forth in filings that Spero periodically makes with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent Spero’s views as of the date of this press release. Spero anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its views to change. However, while Spero may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Spero’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

Investor Relations Contact: 
Ted Jenkins
Vice President, Investor Relations and Strategic Finance
TJenkins@sperotherapeutics.com
(617) 798-4039

Media Inquiries: media@sperotherapeutics.com