NEW YORK, April 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Protara Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: TARA), a clinical-stage company developing transformative therapies for the treatment of cancer and rare diseases with significant unmet needs, today announced the appointment of Martín Sebastian Olivo, M.D. as Chief Medical Officer, effective immediately. Dr. Olivo brings to Protara more than 15 years of experience in oncology translational and clinical research and global drug development, most recently serving as Vice President, Breast Cancer Clinical Development Lead at Gilead Sciences, Inc..
“We are very excited to welcome Dr. Olivo to our leadership team,” said Jesse Shefferman, Chief Executive Officer of Protara Therapeutics. “The depth of his experience supporting the development and approval of oncology drug candidates is expected to be particularly instrumental as we continue to advance our lead product candidate, TARA-002, for the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and lymphatic malformations.”
“TARA-002 has strong potential to play a meaningful role in the treatment of NMIBC and potentially other cancers,” said Dr. Olivo. “I look forward to working with this dynamic leadership team to advance transformative therapies for people with cancer and rare diseases of high unmet need.”
Prior to joining Protara, Dr. Olivo served as Vice President, Breast Cancer Clinical Development Lead, at Gilead Sciences, Inc. (formerly Immunomedics, Inc.), a public biopharmaceutical company, from August 2018 to April 2021, where he led clinical development of a treatment for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. Prior to joining Immunomedics, he served as Global Clinical Lead at Daiichi Sankyo Cancer Enterprise, a global pharmaceutical company, from July 2017 to July 2018, where he established a comprehensive clinical development plan for an early-stage oncology product candidate with applications in lung and breast cancer. From January 2011 to July 2017, Dr. Olivo served in several roles of increasing responsibility in the oncology business group at Eisai Inc., a pharmaceutical company, most recently serving as an International Project Team Leader.
Dr. Olivo received his M.D. from the University of Buenos Aires and his M.S. in Clinical and Pharmacological Research from Austral University in Buenos Aires. He completed his degree as a Clinical Oncologist at the University of Salvador. He has held various academic and clinical positions at the School of Medicine at the University of Buenos Aires, Hospital “Dr. Enrique Tornú” and the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group.
About Protara Therapeutics, Inc.
Protara is committed to identifying and advancing transformative therapies for people with cancer and rare diseases with limited treatment options. Protara’s portfolio includes its lead program, TARA-002, an investigational cell-based therapy being developed for the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer and lymphatic malformations, and IV Choline Chloride, an investigational phospholipid substrate replacement therapy for the treatment of intestinal failure-associated liver disease. For more information, visit www.protaratx.com.
