SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., March 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Calithera Biosciences, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of novel cancer therapeutics, today announced the appointment of William D. Waddill as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, effective April 1, 2014.  As CFO, Mr. Waddill will provide input on corporate strategy and oversee all corporate financial matters, including financial planning and reporting, as well as investor relations.  He will report directly to Susan Molineaux, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer.<br /><br />"Will's extensive management experience and accomplishments, especially in the growth and maturation of life science companies, provide Calithera with exceptional financial and business leadership," said Dr. Molineaux.  "He brings valuable perspective to our team, with first-hand and recent experience contributing to the formation of strategic alliances and guiding companies through diverse fundraising options, including an initial public offering.  We are privileged to have him join our executive team as our first product candidate advances through Phase 1 clinical studies."<br /><br />A life science industry veteran and active member of the biotechnology industry, Mr. Waddill joins Calithera from OncoMed Pharmaceuticals where he served as Senior Vice President, CFO since 2007 responsible for all corporate financial matters, most notably the successfully completed $94 million Initial Public Offering in July 2013, private equity financing of $126 million in December 2008, and three collaborations valued at $6.1 billion.  Prior to OncoMed, Mr. Waddill was Senior Vice President, CFO, at Ilypsa, where he was the finance lead for the $420 million acquisition by Amgen in 2007.  Before joining Ilypsa, Mr. Waddill served as the founder and principal at Square One Finance, a financial consulting business, managing the finances of 33 start-up biotechnology companies, including eight that became public and six that were acquired.  Mr. Waddill serves on the board of the Association of Bioscience Financial Officers and Chaired their 2014 National Conference.  He also served as the Chairman of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) Business Solutions Advisory Board and Finance and Tax Committee.  He received a BS in accounting from the University of Illinois, Chicago, and certification as a public accountant (inactive) after working at PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte in Boston.<br /><br />"This is an exciting time to be joining Calithera, with lead anti-cancer compound CB-839 progressing in the clinic and having demonstrated promise as a product that may target tumor cell metabolism in hematologic and solid tumor types," said Mr. Waddill. "I look forward to joining Susan and her high-caliber team in helping chart the course of the company to support its future success." <br /><br />About Calithera Biosciences<br /><br />Calithera Biosciences, Inc. is a clinical-stage company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of first-in-class small molecule oncology therapeutics.  The company is building a pipeline of targeted anti-cancer compounds that inhibit pathways critical to tumor growth and survival.  Calithera's lead clinical candidate, CB-839, blocks glutaminase, an enzyme critical to tumor metabolism, and is currently being tested in patients with advanced solid and hematological cancers.  Calithera Biosciences is headquartered in South San Francisco.