Eiger BioPharmaceuticals Announces Transition of Chief Operating Officer and Executive Medical Officer

PALO ALTO, Calif., May 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Eiger BioPharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: EIGR), focused on the development and commercialization of targeted therapies for serious rare and ultra-rare diseases, today announced that David Apelian will step down as the Company's Chief Operating Officer and Executive Medical Officer, effective June 14, 2019, to become the Chief Executive Officer at a private biotech company. David Apelian will remain actively engaged with Eiger and will continue to serve on Eiger's board of directors.  Dr. Apelian will consult with the Company to assist with the transition.  Eiger plans to announce a new senior executive medical lead in the near future.

"I want to thank David for his service to Eiger, particularly in leading the Company's hepatitis delta virus (HDV) program," said David Cory, Chief Executive Officer at Eiger.  "David played an important role in negotiating Phase 3 D-LIVR study design and endpoints with FDA, allowing Eiger to initiate the first-ever Phase 3 study in HDV.  David has built a strong clinical team, and Eiger is poised to execute across all programs. I wish him well in his new position and look forward to continuing to work with him on our board."

"It's difficult to leave Eiger at this exciting time for the company," said Dr. Apelian.  "The Phase 3 D-LIVR study is on track and positioned for success. I look forward to my continued involvement with Eiger by serving as a strategic advisor and on its board of directors to support efforts to complete the Phase 3 D-LIVR study in HDV and filing an NDA and MAA for Progeria and Progeroid Laminopathies in 2019.  I want to thank David Cory and the Eiger board and look forward to working with them to ensure success."

About Eiger
Eiger is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of a pipeline of first-in-class, well-characterized drugs for serious rare and ultra-rare diseases for patients with high unmet medical needs and for which no approved therapies exist. 

The company's lead program is in Phase 3, developing lonafarnib, a first-in-class prenylation inhibitor for the treatment of Hepatitis Delta Virus (HDV) infection.  The company is also advancing peginterferon lambda, a first-in-class interferon, toward a Phase 3 study for the treatment of HDV.  Eiger is preparing an NDA and MAA for lonafarnib to treat Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS or Progeria) and Progeroid Laminopathies with plans to file in 2019.  For additional information about Eiger and its clinical programs, please visit www.eigerbio.com.

Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking" statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties.  All statements other than statements of historical facts, including statements regarding our future financial condition, timing for and outcomes of clinical results, business strategy and plans and objectives for future operations, are forward looking statements.  These forward-looking statements include terminology such as "believe," "will," "may," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "contemplate," "intend," "target," "project," "should," "plan," "expect," "predict," "could," "potentially" or the negative of these terms.  Forward looking statements are our current statements regarding our intentions, beliefs, projections, outlook, analyses or current expectations concerning, among other things, Dr. Apelian's continued role with Eiger; Eiger's search for a new senior executive medical lead; and our ongoing and planned clinical development, including plans to complete enrollment of our D-LIVR study by the end of 2019, and submit an NDA and MAA for Progeria and progeroid laminopathies in 2019.  These statements concern product candidates that have not yet been approved for marketing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  No representation is made as to their safety or effectiveness for the purposes for which they are being investigated.

Various important factors could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements that Eiger makes, including the risks described in the "Risk Factors" sections in the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended   March 31, 2019 and Eiger's subsequent filings with the SEC.  Eiger does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Investors: Ingrid Choong, PhD

Email: ichoong@eigerbio.com / Phone: 1-650-619-6115

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SOURCE Eiger BioPharmaceuticals, Inc.