SAN DIEGO, June 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Regulus Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: RGLS), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines targeting microRNAs (the "Company" or "Regulus"), today announced the appointment of Amin Kamel, Ph.D., as Vice President, DMPK. In his role, Dr. Kamel will support clinical development, in particular advancement of the Company's lead candidate, RGLS8429, which is being developed for patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD).

In connection with his hiring, Dr. Kamel received an option to purchase 200,000 shares of Regulus' common stock, with an exercise price of $0.29 per share, which is equal to the fair market value on the grant date. The option has a 10-year term and vests over a period of four years, with 25% vesting on June 1, 2023, which is one year following the date of grant and the remaining 75% vesting ratably over the succeeding thirty-six months, subject to Dr. Kamel's continuous service through each vesting date, and subject to the terms and conditions of Regulus' Inducement Plan and stock option grant notice and agreement thereunder. The option was granted under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4) as an inducement material to Dr. Kamel entering into employment with the Company.

"We are excited to welcome Dr. Kamel to the Regulus team," said Denis Drygin, Chief Scientific Officer of Regulus. "We look forward to utilizing his expertise working with small molecule, biologic, nanoparticle and RNAi based therapies across multiple disease areas. His background in designing and executing in vivo and in vitro drug metabolic studies will be an asset as we prepare for initiation of our Phase 1 clinical study." 

"I'm excited by the work Regulus is doing with RNA therapeutics," said Dr. Kamel. "The company has a robust clinical program on the horizon, including the initiation of a Phase 1 single-ascending dose (SAD) study in healthy volunteers to assess safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of RGLS8429. I'm looking forward to contributing my experience as we work to improve outcomes for patients with ADPKD."

Prior to joining Regulus, Dr. Kamel was the Scientific Director of Takeda, Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, where he was responsible for project management, operations, and served as a scientific advisor. Prior to Takeda, Dr. Kamal was the Principal Investigator at Biogen, where he led project management and provided scientific expertise and support for small molecule drug discovery and early development. Previously, he worked as a Research Investigator for Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, and, prior to that, worked for a number of years as a research scientist at Pfizer Global Research and Development. Dr. Kamel holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Rhode Island with collaboration with University of Delaware.

Regulus Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: RGLS) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines targeting microRNAs. Regulus has leveraged its oligonucleotide drug discovery and development expertise to develop a pipeline complemented by a rich intellectual property estate in the microRNA field. Regulus maintains its corporate headquarters in San Diego, CA. 

SOURCE Regulus Therapeutics Inc.