Rafael HoldingsRafael Holdings (NYSE:RFL), the parent of Rafael Pharmaceuticals, has announced that Ashok Marin has agreed to join the company’s management team. Ashok will support the company’s quest to become a “fully integrated cancer metabolism therapeutics company.”

Marin has also worked for Gilead, Immunomedics, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, BD and Sanofi.

Rafael Holdings appointed a new chief financial officer, Patrick Fabbio, earlier this month.

Ashok Marin

Ashok Marin

“We are continuing to build a highly experienced management team with the skillset necessary to advance the ongoing and planned clinical trial programs across multiple indications and the early-stage pipeline,” said Ameet Mallik, Rafael Holdings CEO, in a statement.

Rafael Holdings plans to merge with Rafael Pharmaceuticals to form a publicly traded, late-stage cancer therapeutics firm.

The company is prepping for the top-line data readout for the Phase 3 study for its lead investigational drug, CPI-613, in metastatic pancreatic cancer. The company also has a Phase 3 study of the drug involving acute myeloid leukemia. In June, Rafael announced that the investigational drug had won orphan drug status from FDA for biliary cancer.

If the former data are positive, the company will begin filing a new drug application for the drug with the FDA.