SAN DIEGO, Oct. 06, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TRACON Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:TCON), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel targeted therapeutics for cancer, wet age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) and fibrotic diseases, today announced that Ronald Shazer, M.D., M.B.A., has been appointed as Chief Medical Officer.

"We are thrilled to expand our clinical leadership at TRACON with the addition of Ron to our management team," said Charles P. Theuer, M.D., Ph.D., President and CEO of TRACON. "His depth and breadth of technical and management experience in clinical development, along with his deep understanding of oncology, gained through leading clinical development of a number of therapies in solid and hematologic malignancies, will help drive TRACON's success."

Dr. Shazer was most recently Senior Director, Clinical Lead Oncology at Pfizer where he led the clinical development of multiple immuno-oncology compounds including antibody drug conjugates, dual targeting T-cell engaging antibodies, and small molecules. Prior to Pfizer, Dr. Shazer was Director, Clinical Research Oncology at Bristol-Myers Squibb from 2011 to 2013 and served as the study lead on the registrational study for elotuzumab which received U.S. FDA breakthrough therapy designation in 2014.  Prior to Bristol-Myers Squibb, Dr. Shazer was Head of Clinical Development at Arena Pharmaceuticals during the filing of the NDA for lorcaserin (Belviq®).

Dr. Shazer held academic positions in the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine, and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Dr. Shazer earned his B.A. in Economics from the University of California, San Diego, M.D. from the New York Medical College, and M.B.A from the Anderson School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in 2004.

About TRACON

TRACON develops targeted therapies for cancer, wet AMD and fibrotic diseases. TRACON’s current pipeline includes two clinical stage product candidates: TRC105, an anti-endoglin antibody that is being developed for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma, soft tissue sarcoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, glioblastoma and choriocarcinoma, and TRC102, a small molecule that is being developed for the treatment of lung cancer and glioblastoma. To learn more about TRACON and its product candidates, visit TRACON's website at www.traconpharma.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements made in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Dr. Shazer’s anticipated contributions to TRACON and TRACON’s future success in pursuing its business. Risks that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements include: risks associated with clinical development; whether TRACON or others will be able to complete or initiate clinical trials on TRACON's expected timelines, if at all; the fact that future preclinical studies and clinical trials may not be successful or otherwise consistent with results from prior studies; the fact that TRACON has limited control over whether Santen advances TRC105 (DE-122) in ophthalmological indications or whether the NCI sponsors additional trials of TRACON's product candidates; potential changes in regulatory requirements in the United States and foreign countries; TRACON's reliance on third parties for the development of its product candidates, including the conduct of its clinical trials and manufacture of its product candidates; whether TRACON will be able to obtain additional financing; and other risks described in TRACON's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the heading "Risk Factors". All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made and are based on management's assumptions and estimates as of such date. TRACON undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.



Company Contact:		
Casey Logan			
Chief Business Officer		
(858) 550‐0780 ext. 236		
clogan@traconpharma.com	

Investor Contact:
Andrew McDonald
LifeSci Advisors LLC
646-597-6987
Andrew@lifesciadvisors.com

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