XW Labs Appoints Clinical Development Veteran Dr. Daniel Canafax as Chief Medical Officer

WUHAN, China, Sept. 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- XW Laboratories Inc. (XW Labs), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of neurological disorders, today announced the appointment of Daniel M. Canafax, PharmD as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Canafax will lead the global clinical development of XW10172, XW Labs' novel therapy for treating narcolepsy, and the company's expanding pipeline of small molecule therapies expected to enter clinical development over the next few years.

"Our global pipeline is rapidly entering into early and later stage clinical development", said Dr. Jia-Ning Xiang, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of XW Labs. "We are pleased to have Dr. Canafax join our senior leadership team to lead these efforts. His wealth of R&D knowledge and strong track record for clinical development execution will bridge our novel drug discovery research to therapies that help patients with unmet medical needs."

"I am delighted to join XW Laboratories and lead the clinical development of new drugs with the potential to benefit many patients in the near future," said Dr. Canafax. "I look forward to working closely with Dr. Xiang and the entire XW Laboratories management team, the medical community, and the patients in need of new therapies. We will work diligently to provide new treatment options for the millions of patients who suffer from neurologic diseases."

Prior to joining XW Labs, Dr. Canafax held various senior positions in Clinical Development and Medical Affairs at Theravance Biopharma and Omeros Corporation. Previously, he served as Vice President of Clinical Development and Medical Affairs at XenoPort, where he led all clinical development activities that led to the approval of gabapentin enacarbil for Willis-Ekbom Disease (Restless Legs Syndrome) and neuropathic pain. Dr. Canafax has played key roles in 5 drug approvals in the United States, Europe and Japan, including cyclosporine and selegaline. Dr. Canafax also brings 19 years of experience as a professor in Pharmacy, Surgery and Otolaryngology at the University of Minnesota. He has authored or co-authored over 160 research publications.

About XW Laboratories Inc.

XW Laboratories Inc. (XW Labs) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel compounds for the treatment of neurological disorders with primary research and development activities located in Wuhan, Mainland China and New Taipei City, Taiwan. XW Labs' expertise in drug design and specialized drug platforms provide critical competitive advantages to shortening the time it takes to identify best-in-class development candidates.

SOURCE XW Laboratories Inc.