Tris Pharma Expands Leadership Team as Company Broadens Commercial Portfolio and Progresses Clinical Pipeline

-- Thomas Englese, a 20+ year industry veteran with a track record of success at leading biopharmaceutical companies, joins as chief commercial officer --

-- Marc Lesnick, Ph.D., appointed as chief development officer, bringing more than 20 years of experience in multiple therapeutic areas --

Tris Pharma, Inc. (Tris), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on ADHD, pain and neurological disorders, today announced the appointments of Thomas Englese as chief commercial officer and Marc Lesnick, Ph.D., as chief development officer.

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Marc Lesnick, Ph.D., has been appointed chief development officer for Tris Pharma, a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on ADHD, pain and neurological disorders. Dr. Lesnick is a scientifically driven executive with deep expertise managing global research and development programs from pre-clinical stage through Phase 3, as well as regulatory affairs and quality assurance. (Photo: Business Wire)

“We are thrilled to welcome Tom and Marc to the Tris Pharma executive team, and I am confident that their expertise will play a critical role in helping us continue to develop and commercialize differentiated approaches that enhance therapeutic benefit and optimize outcomes for patients,” said Ketan Mehta, founder and chief executive officer of Tris Pharma. “Their strategic mindsets and demonstrated success achieving key commercial and pipeline milestones will be invaluable as we continue to innovate and bring novel therapeutic approaches to people in great need.”

Thomas Englese, Chief Commercial Officer

Mr. Englese has more than 20 years of experience in domestic and international commercial functions at biopharmaceutical companies across a breadth of therapeutic areas such as pain management, cardiology, liver disease, anesthesia and critical care.

Prior to joining Tris Pharma, he was the chief commercial officer at Aziyo Biologics, where he oversaw multiple business units, profitably negotiated commercial partnerships with distinguished organizations and was a key leader of the company’s successful IPO team. Earlier in his career, he held various positions at Mallinckrodt (formerly Ikaria Inc.), where he was responsible for the North America franchise of several key products, as well as at Baxter, where he spent six years managing business operations and global analytics. Mr. Englese earned his Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Villanova University and his Master of Business Administration in Finance from Pennsylvania State University.

“Tris Pharma has a robust and expanding portfolio of clinically proven, best-in-class ADHD therapies,” said Englese. “I believe there is tremendous opportunity to help enhance the company’s commercial success by further expanding the availability of this growing portfolio, which offers a range of delivery and treatment options for both adults and children with the disorder. I look forward to collaborating with the team and leveraging our collective strengths to make a meaningful impact for patients.”

Marc Lesnick, Ph.D., Chief Development Officer

Dr. Lesnick is a scientifically driven executive with deep expertise managing global research and development programs from pre-clinical stage through Phase 3, as well as regulatory affairs and quality assurance. His background spans a number of therapeutic categories including psychiatry, infectious disease, endocrinology, oncology and allergy.

As co-founder and chief development officer of Park Therapeutics, Dr. Lesnick led the research and development of cebranopadol, the first and only full, dual nociceptin/orphanin FQ peptide (NOP) receptor and µ-opioid peptide (MOP) receptor agonist in development for the treatment of moderate to severe pain. He was responsible for developing the clinical registration strategy, including Phase 3 pivotal studies and long-term safety studies, as well as organizing the regulatory plans and supporting fundraising activities for the molecule. Before co-founding Park Therapeutics, Dr. Lesnick held various executive roles at Spruce Biosciences, QED Therapeutics, Cascadian Therapeutics and Shionogi, Inc., among others, where he focused heavily on regulatory affairs and quality assurance, successfully progressing numerous clinical programs through to U.S. FDA and ex-U.S. approvals. Dr. Lesnick received his Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of California at Santa Cruz and completed his Ph.D. in Biology at the University of Oregon.

“Tris has a proven track record of applying its drug development capabilities and proprietary technologies globally to develop, manufacture and commercialize medicines that improve upon traditional therapies,” said Dr. Lesnick. “I am excited to join their exceptional team to help accelerate a transformative pipeline with the potential to help patients with some of the most intractable challenges in ADHD, pain and neurological disorders.”

About Tris Pharma

Tris Pharma is a privately held, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical company that is applying its drug development capabilities and proprietary technologies to transform the treatment of ADHD, pain and neurological disorders, including addiction and diseases of the central nervous system. Tris is an established commercial organization with a robust portfolio of best-in-class ADHD products and a promising pipeline of differentiated, near-term drug candidates. More information is available at www.trispharma.com and on LinkedIn @TrisPharma.

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