OPKO Announces Appointment of James DeMarco as Senior Vice President of Pharmaceutical Sales

MIAMI--()--OPKO Health, Inc. (NYSE:OPK) today announced the appointment of James DeMarco as Senior Vice President of Pharmaceutical Sales to support the anticipated launch of RAYALDEE®.

Mr. DeMarco has over 30 years of commercial pharmaceutical experience with established large companies, such as Schering Plough, Amgen and Eisai, as well as emerging companies, and a career-long focus on specialty products and nephrology. Prior to joining OPKO, Mr. DeMarco served as a consultant providing commercial leadership services to pharmaceutical, medical device and healthcare services companies. Mr. DeMarco has built a number of sales organizations during his career in advance of anticipated product launches in a diverse group of therapeutic areas.

“Jim is uniquely qualified to establish and execute our commercial plans for RAYALDEE in the US. His deep knowledge of the chronic kidney disease market will help bring RAYALDEE to Stage 3 and 4 CKD patients,” said Phillip Frost, M.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of OPKO. Dr. Frost continued, “We look forward to rapidly moving through the final regulatory steps with the FDA and securing an approval.”

About OPKO Health, Inc.

OPKO Health, Inc. is a diversified healthcare company that seeks to establish industry-leading positions in large, rapidly growing markets. Our diagnostics business includes Bio-Reference Laboratories, the nation's third-largest clinical laboratory with a core genetic testing business and a 420-person sales force to drive growth and leverage new products, including the 4Kscore® prostate cancer test and the Claros®1 in-office immunoassay platform. Our pharmaceutical business features Rayaldee®, a treatment for SHPT in stage 3-4 CKD patients with vitamin D insufficiency and VARUBI™ for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (oral formulation launched by partner Tesaro, IV formulation in Phase 3). Our biologics business includes hGH-CTP, a once-weekly human growth hormone injection (in Phase 3 and partnered with Pfizer), a long-acting Factor VIIa drug for hemophilia (in Phase 2a) and a long acting oxyntomodulin for diabetes and obesity (in Phase 1). We also have production and distribution assets worldwide, multiple strategic investments and an active business development strategy. More information is available at www.opko.com.

This press release contains "forward-looking statements," as that term is defined under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA), which statements may be identified by words such as "expects," "plans," "projects," "will," "may," "anticipates," "believes," "should," "intends," "estimates," and other words of similar meaning, including all non-historical statements about our expectations, beliefs or intentions regarding our business, technologies and products, financial condition, strategies, prospects, growth opportunities, and management. Many factors could cause our actual activities or results to differ materially from the activities and results anticipated in forward-looking statements. These factors include those described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and risks inherent in funding, developing and obtaining regulatory approvals of new, commercially-viable and competitive products and treatments. In addition, forward-looking statements may also be adversely affected by general market factors, competitive product development, product availability, federal and state regulations and legislation, the regulatory process for new products and indications, manufacturing issues that may arise, patent positions and litigation, among other factors. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date the statements were made, and, except as required by applicable law, we do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements. We intend that all forward-looking statements be subject to the safe-harbor provisions of the PSLRA.

Contacts

OPKO Health, Inc.
Tara Mackay, 305-575-4100
Investor Relations
or
Media
Rooney & Associates
Terry Rooney, 212-223-0689
trooney@rooneyco.com
or
Marion Janic, 212-223-4017
mjanic@rooneyco.com
or
Investors
LHA
Anne Marie Fields, 212-838-3777
afields@lhai.com
or
Bruce Voss, 310-691-7100
bvoss@lhai.com

Release Summary

OPKO Announces Appointment of James DeMarco as Senior Vice President of Pharmaceutical Sales

Contacts

OPKO Health, Inc.
Tara Mackay, 305-575-4100
Investor Relations
or
Media
Rooney & Associates
Terry Rooney, 212-223-0689
trooney@rooneyco.com
or
Marion Janic, 212-223-4017
mjanic@rooneyco.com
or
Investors
LHA
Anne Marie Fields, 212-838-3777
afields@lhai.com
or
Bruce Voss, 310-691-7100
bvoss@lhai.com