Exhibit 99.1
OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals Names Michelle Burris Executive Vice President, Operations and Chief Financial Officer
BOTHELL, WA, and VANCOUVER, November 8, 2010 — OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: OGXI) today announced the appointment of Michelle Burris to the position of executive vice president, operations and chief financial officer. Ms. Burris, a seasoned public company executive, brings over 20 years of financial and operations management experience to OncoGenex.
Ms. Burris, who will join the company in this capacity on January 3, 2011, is currently a member of the board of directors of OncoGenex, which she joined following the merger with Sonus Pharmaceuticals. Prior to the merger, Ms. Burris had served on the Sonus board of directors since 2004.
“Having the pleasure of working with Michelle on the board of directors, we are confident that we will benefit from her broad range of experience in strategic planning, financial management and operational oversight as we continue to advance our clinical candidates towards commercialization,” said Scott Cormack, president and chief executive officer of OncoGenex.
Ms. Burris most recently served as senior vice president and chief operating officer for Trubion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. until its recent acquisition by Emergent BioSolutions, Inc. She joined Trubion in 2006 as senior vice president and chief financial officer after holding similar positions at Dendreon Corporation and Corixa Corporation. She participated in the development and approval of Bexxar®, an antibody drug approved for the treatment of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the negotiation of rights to multiple clinical and pre-clinical product candidates, and the sales of Trubion to Emergent BioSolutions, Inc. and of Corixa to GlaxoSmithKline. Ms. Burris also played an integral role in raising over $600 million of capital through public offerings, other equity transactions and company acquisitions. Prior to entering the biotechnology field, she served in numerous management positions at The Boeing Company and, prior to that, as a research analyst at Cypress International Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based high-technology consulting firm.
“I am joining a management team at OncoGenex with an outstanding track record of delivering on set objectives, advancing clinical programs with speed and efficiency, and creating value from drug development candidates. The company’s combination of proven leadership, varied clinical pipeline, and growth prospects presents a compelling opportunity,” said Ms. Burris.
Ms. Burris also sits on the board of directors of the Washington Biotechnology and BioMedical Association and the Executive Advisory Board of the Albers School of Business and Economics at Seattle University. She holds a Postgraduate Certificate in accounting and an MBA from Seattle University, a BS from George Mason University, and she has passed the CPA exam.