SAN DIEGO– MEI Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: MEIP) (the “Company”), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on advancing new therapies for cancer, today announced that, consistent with the Company’s succession planning, Brian Drazba’s tenure as Chief Financial Officer of the Company will end no later than September 1, 2023, and the Company has hired Justin (Jay) File as his successor. Mr. File joined the Company on June 12, 2023 as Executive Vice President, Finance and will be appointed Chief Financial Officer upon Mr. Drazba’s departure.
“Brian has been a true asset to MEI providing invaluable fiscal and business leadership as we advanced our clinical programs and executed various transactions, including multiple partnering deals and equity financings. It has been a privilege working with him, and he will be missed by the MEI team,” stated David M. Urso, president and chief executive officer of MEI Pharma. “Replacing Brian will be Jay File, who has demonstrated the knowledge and experience we need to support our success as we move to the next chapter of MEI’s growth. I look forward to having Jay as a partner and I expect he will fit in seamlessly as an essential part of the team as we work to advance our pipeline of promising candidates to benefit patients with cancer and build value for shareholders.”
“I am honored to join the capable leadership team at MEI, and look forward to contributing my experience and knowledge to meaningfully contribute to the Company’s future progress,” said Mr. File. “MEI is well positioned to advance it’s potential first-in-class oncology drug candidates with important data readouts over the next year and which hold significant opportunity to benefit patients and create value for shareholders. I look forward to working with the team to execute on our business strategy and support this important work.”
Mr. File has 30 years of experience in accounting and finance, working in both public and private companies. He has a diverse range of experience, having worked in various industries, including the life sciences industry for the past 16 years. From 2015 to 2023, Mr. File was the Chief Financial Officer of Evofem Biosciences, Inc., a women’s health company that developed and commercialized Phexxi®, a nonhormonal contraceptive for women. While at Evofem he helped bring the company public through a reverse merger and was responsible for overseeing corporate finance and accounting, information technology and investor relations. Previously, Mr. File provided executive financial and accounting oversight consulting services to biotechnology companies, and before that led accounting operations and reporting at Sequenom, Inc., a molecular diagnostic company. He additionally served as Treasurer of Sequenom’s diagnostic subsidiary. Before joining industry, Mr. File worked for approximately ten years in public accounting, primarily with Arthur Andersen LLP. Mr. File graduated from Central Washington University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Business Administration. He is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive).
