Daniel Swisher has resigned from his position as president and chief executive officer of Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, effective December 31, 2017, to pursue another executive opportunity. Mr. Swisher will serve as strategic advisor to the board through 2018.

Dayton Misfeldt, a member of the Board since 2009, will serve as interim chief executive officer, effective January 1, 2018.  The board has also formed a search committee to find a permanent replacement for Mr. Swisher.

“We thank Dan for his tremendous contributions over the past years, and we wish him well on his future endeavors,” said James Young, Ph.D., chairman of the board of directors. “There is significant potential for our kinase inhibitor portfolio, including our lead non-covalent BTK inhibitor SNS-062, to provide cancer patients with new treatment options in areas of high unmet need. We are now focused on finding a new CEO with strong experience in pharmaceutical development to work closely with the existing management team to unlock the portfolio’s full value potential.”

“I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with the Sunesis Board and management team, as well as all of our clinicians, investors and corporate partners during my tenure as CEO of Sunesis,” said Mr. Swisher. “Sunesis has an experienced and dedicated internal leadership team in place and a promising kinase inhibitor pipeline with multiple upcoming inflection points.  I look forward to working closely with Dayton to ensure a smooth transition.”