BETHESDA, Md., Feb. 10, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:SCMP) ("Sucampo") today announced that Peter Greenleaf will join Sucampo as Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") and as a member of the Board of Directors ("Board") on March 3, 2014. Mr. Greenleaf, 43, brings to Sucampo more than 20 years of experience in commercialization and drug development in the biopharmaceutical industry.
Peter Greenleaf
A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=23524 Ryuji Ueno, M.D., Ph.D., Ph.D. will step down as CEO, Chairman of the Board, and member of the Board when Mr. Greenleaf joins Sucampo. In addition, Dr. Ueno will step down as Chief Scientific Officer on March 31, 2014. As Co-Founder, Chairman Emeritus, and Scientific Advisor, Dr. Ueno will provide consulting services to ensure a smooth transition and advise Sucampo on the development of its pipeline and other strategic activities, through a one-year, renewable contract. In addition, Dan Getman, Ph.D. has been named Chairman of the Board, effective March 3, 2014. Dr. Getman has been a Director of Sucampo since 2011 and is the current Chairman of Sucampo's Science and Technology Committee, as well as Chairman and/or member of other Board committees. "Peter's expertise in growing biopharmaceutical companies, including experience leading a gastroenterology business, will be a valuable addition to Sucampo. The Board is confident that under his leadership Sucampo's legacy of growth will be accelerated," said Dr. Getman. "Peter brings the right mix of commercial, strategic planning, and product development expertise that we believe will enhance the value of Sucampo's proprietary prostone technology and its delivery to patients and healthcare providers around the world. On behalf of the entire Board, I also want to thank Dr. Ueno for his visionary leadership and the strong scientific foundation he established for Sucampo. His breakthrough discovery of the therapeutic potential of prostones led to the development and approval of two products, and it established Sucampo as a global biopharmaceutical company whose medicines have benefited millions of patients across three continents."
