Introductory Comment – Use of Terminology
Throughout this Current Report on Form8-K, the terms “the Company,” “we” and “our” refer to Tyme Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation, together with its subsidiaries (“Tyme”).
Item 5.02. | Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers. |
On March 18, 2019, the Company announced the departure of Michael Demurjian as Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and director of the Company. Michael Demurjian gave notice of resignation from employment and the Board of Directors (the “Board”) on March 15, 2019, effective that same day.
In connection with his resignation, the Company and Mr. Demurjian entered into a Release Agreement, dated March 15, 2019 (the “Release Agreement”). Under the Release Agreement, Mr. Demurjian agreed not to sell or otherwise transfer any equity in the Company until one week after the Company files its Annual Report on Form10-K for the year ended March 31, 2019, with further sale limitations imposed through March 5, 2024. As part of the Release Agreement, Mr. Demurjian’s departure will be treated as a termination without cause, and he will be entitled to continued payment of his current base salary through March 5, 2024 pursuant to the terms of his employment agreement with the Company, dated March 5, 2015. Additionally, Mr. Demurjian’s vested stock options will remain exercisable until March 5, 2024, and he will immediately forfeit all unvested stock options. Mr. Demurjian also agreed, among other things, not to compete with the Company and not to solicit the Company’s employees, officers, managers or full-time consultants until March 5, 2024. The Release Agreement also placed confidentiality andnon-disparagement obligations upon Mr. Demurjian and included a release of all claims against the Company. The Company likewise has anon-disparagement obligation, ending on March 5, 2024.
Also on March 15, 2019, the Board approved the appointment of Michele Korfin, the Company’s current Chief Commercial Officer, as the Company’s Chief Operating Officer, and approved the appointment of Dr. Jonathan Eckard, the Company’s current Chief Scientific Affairs Officer, as the Company’s Chief Business Officer, each effective March 15, 2019.
Prior to this appointment, Ms. Korfin, age 47, has served as the Company’s Chief Commercial Officer since October 9, 2018. Ms. Korfin has over 20 years of experience in oncology, focused on drug development, product launches, oncology marketing strategy, commercial sales, market access and government affairs. Before joining the Company, from April 2016 to July 2018, Ms. Korfin was the Vice President of Market Access at Kite Pharma, where she oversaw the market access strategy, including payer relations, reimbursement and government affairs for Yescarta®, the first approvedCAR-T therapy in lymphoma. Prior to joining Kite, from 2004 to April 2016, Ms. Korfin spent more than a decade at Celgene in a variety of key strategic and operational roles, including head of the oncology sales force and overseeing the global development programs for REVLIMID® in lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. While leading the global development programs for REVLIMID® in Lymphoma and CLL, Ms. Korfin focused on bridgingpre-clinical science, translational medicine, clinical development and oversaw the path to successful regulatory approvals. She is also on the board of trustees of BioNJ, an organization that represents the biotechnology industry for New Jersey.
Prior to this appointment, Dr. Eckard, age 44, has served as the Chief Scientific Affairs Officer of Tyme since August 2017. He was previously Chief Business and Strategy Officer of SELLAS Life Sciences, Ltd., a Bermuda-based late stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel cancer immunotherapies and therapeutics from October 2016 to August 2017. Prior to his employment at SELLAS, Dr. Eckard worked at Barclays plc from March 2015 to October 2016, where he was a director and senior biotechnology analyst. Prior to that, Dr. Eckard covered small-and mid-cap companies in the biotechnology and specialty pharmaceutical sectors as an equity research analyst at Citigroup Inc. from July 2012 to March 2015, Leerink Partners LLC from April 2007 to June 2012 and HSBC Holdings plc from July 2005 to February 2007.
At this time, there have been no changes to the compensation of Ms. Korfin or Dr. Eckard in connection with these appointments.