Minerva Neurosciences Names Devin Smith Senior Vice President, General Counsel

WALTHAM, Mass., July 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Minerva Neurosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:NERV), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of therapies to treat central nervous system (CNS) disorders, today announced the appointment of Devin W. Smith as Senior Vice President and General Counsel.  Mr. Smith will manage all corporate legal affairs and provide business counsel on a broad range of strategic, tactical and operational issues related to the growth of the Company and the development of its portfolio of CNS products. 

Mr. Smith was previously General Counsel and Company Secretary at Stallergenes Greer plc, a global biopharmaceutical company focused on allergy immunotherapy products.  His responsibilities encompassed support for commercial and medical activities, business development, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, management of claims, intellectual property, litigation and investigations, compliance and finance.  Mr. Smith joined Stallergenes from EMD Serono, Inc, the biopharmaceutical division of Merck KGaA, where he led the North American legal department as Vice President and General Counsel.  Prior to that, Mr. Smith was a partner at the international law firm of Nixon Peabody LLP, where he represented emerging and established life science, information technology and manufacturing businesses.

"Devin Smith brings a deep understanding of corporate strategic development to his position as the Company's General Counsel, and we welcome him to the Minerva management team," said Rick Russell, President of Minerva.

Mr. Smith received his law degree (cum laude) from Suffolk University Law School and a B.A. in political science from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill.

About Minerva Neurosciences:

Minerva Neurosciences, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of a portfolio of product candidates to treat CNS diseases.  Minerva's proprietary compounds include: roluperidone (MIN-101), in clinical development for schizophrenia; MIN-117, in clinical development for major depressive disorder (MDD); seltorexant (MIN-202 or JNJ-42847922), in clinical development for insomnia and MDD; and MIN-301, in pre-clinical development for Parkinson's disease.  Minerva's common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol "NERV."  For more information, please visit www.minervaneurosciences.com. 

Forward-Looking Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements which are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended.  Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts, reflect management's expectations as of the date of this press release, and involve certain risks and uncertainties.  Forward-looking statements include statements herein with respect to Mr. Smith's positive impact on us, including as we proceed through clinical trials.  These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and may differ materially from actual results due to a variety of factors including, without limitation, Mr. Smith's and our ability to perform as expected.  These and other potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from the results predicted are more fully detailed under the caption "Risk Factors" in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2018, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 3, 2018.  Copies of reports filed with the SEC are posted on our website at www.minervaneurosciences.com. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to us as of the date hereof, and we disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Contact:

William B. Boni
VP, Investor Relations/
Corp. Communications
Minerva Neurosciences, Inc.
(617) 600-7376