LA JOLLA, Calif., Feb. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Regulus Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:RGLS), a biopharmaceutical company leading the discovery and development of innovative medicines targeting microRNAs, announced today the addition of David Szekeres to its executive management team as Chief Business Officer and General Counsel.  Most recently, Mr. Szekeres served as Deputy General Counsel, Chief M&A Counsel and Assistant Secretary at Life Technologies Corporation ("Life"), where he led more than fifty transactions valued at over $30 billion, including the merger of Applied Biosystems and Invitrogen in 2008 and the acquisition of Life by Thermo Fisher Scientific in 2013. During his tenure at Life, Mr. Szekeres was responsible for all legal functions during a time of significant growth for the company in the areas of corporate transactions, corporate governance, SEC reporting and compliance, and was responsible for expanding Life's diagnostics business with several strategic acquisitions.  In his new role at Regulus, Mr. Szekeres will be responsible for leading Regulus' business development, strategic planning and legal efforts and will serve as a key member of its executive leadership team.  

"We are very pleased to welcome David to our Regulus team at such an exciting time for the company," said Kleanthis G. Xanthopoulos, Ph.D., President and CEO of Regulus. "David's involvement with transformative strategic transactions and overall operational experience at Life will add both depth and strategic capabilities to our well rounded team as we continue to build Regulus into a top-tier biopharmaceutical company. We are dedicated to RNA therapeutics and to leading the discovery and development of a new and major class of medicines targeting microRNAs."

Mr. Szekeres brings to Regulus over a decade of legal and deal-making experience within the global life sciences industry.  Prior to joining Regulus, Mr. Szekeres held the position of Deputy General Counsel, Chief M&A Counsel and Assistant Secretary at Life. Prior to joining Life, Mr. Szekeres held positions of increasing responsibility at a number of prestigious law firms, including Latham & Watkins LLP, O'Melveny & Myers LLP and Dechert LLP. Mr. Szekeres began his career in the investment banking group at Robertson Stephens. Mr. Szekeres is a member of the board of directors of Anochi BioPharma and the San Diego chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel. Mr. Szekeres holds a B.A. from the University of California at Irvine and a J.D. from Duke University.

"I am thrilled to be joining such an innovative company during a transformative period in its growth," said David Szekeres, Chief Business Officer and General Counsel of Regulus.  "Regulus' commitment to innovation, its cutting-edge science and its leadership in the microRNA field have enabled the formation of significant strategic alliances and collaborations.  I look forward to working with the experienced management team to continue strengthening these relationships and expanding Regulus' corporate development efforts going forward." 

About Regulus

Regulus Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:RGLS) is a biopharmaceutical company leading the discovery and development of innovative medicines targeting microRNAs. Regulus is uniquely positioned to leverage a mature therapeutic platform that harnesses the oligonucleotide drug discovery and development expertise of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which founded the company.   Regulus has a well-balanced microRNA therapeutic pipeline entering clinical development, an emerging microRNA biomarkers platform to support its therapeutic programs, and a rich intellectual property estate to retain its leadership in the microRNA field.  Regulus intends to focus its proprietary efforts on developing microRNA therapeutics for oncology indications and orphan diseases and is currently advancing several programs toward clinical development in oncology, fibrosis and metabolic diseases.  Regulus is also developing RG-101, a GalNAc-conjugated anti-miR targeting microRNA-122, for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection.  Regulus' commitment to innovation and its leadership in the microRNA field have enabled the formation of strategic alliances with AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi.  In addition, the Company has established Regulus microMarkers™, a research and development division focused on identifying microRNAs as biomarkers of human disease, which is designed to support its therapeutic pipeline, collaborators and strategic partners. 

For more information, please visit http://www.regulusrx.com. 

Forward Looking Statements

Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements associated with Regulus' expectations regarding future therapeutic and commercial potential of Regulus' business plans, technologies and intellectual property related to microRNA therapeutics being discovered and developed by Regulus.  Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Words such as "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "intends," "will," "goal," "potential" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon Regulus' current expectations and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect.  Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation, risks associated with the process of discovering, developing and commercializing drugs that are safe and effective for use as human therapeutics, and in the endeavor of building a business around such drugs.  These and other risks concerning Regulus' programs are described in additional detail in Regulus' SEC filings.  All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Regulus undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

or Liz Bryan, Spectrum Science, lbryan@spectrumscience.com , 202-955-6222 x2526

SOURCE Regulus Therapeutics Inc.