Healthcare Industry News: RHUCIN
News Release - March 29, 2007
Pharming Strengthens Organization for Commercial Development
LEIDEN, NETHERLANDS--(Healthcare Sales & Marketing Network)--Mar 29, 2007 -- Biotech company Pharming Group NV ("Pharming" or "the Company") (Euronext: PHARM) today announced adjustments in its Board of Management (BOM), as well as key appointments in the area of commercial development.The Board of Management now consists of Dr. Francis Pinto (Chief Executive Officer), Dr. Rein Strijker (Chief Commercial Officer) and Dr. Bruno Giannettti (Chief Operating Officer). Dr. Francis Pinto is Chairman of the BOM and has the primary responsibility for the long term strategy of the Company. Dr. Rein Strijker is responsible for all commercial, financial and investor relation activities. Dr. Bruno Giannetti is responsible for all operational activities, including clinical development, R&D, regulatory and manufacturing.
Pharming has appointed Mr. Samir Singh to a new position of President, US Operations focusing on business development and operational activities in the US. Dr. Frank Pieper will continue to focus on technology and intellectual property matters, but has decided to leave Pharming as of October 1, 2007 to pursue other activities in the area of biotechnology. The Company has secured his continued support after this date in certain relevant areas.
The Company has further strengthened its commercial development team with the appointments of Mr. Richard Onyett and Dr. Tolleiv Trimborn. Mr. Onyett previously was Commercial Director at KuDOS Pharmaceuticals Ltd and responsible for all corporate and business development and marketing activities within the company. Prior to KuDOS, he was Senior Vice President Business Development and Marketing at Epidauros Biotechnologie AG and Senior Vice President, Corporate Development at Anthra Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dr. Trimborn is the former Director Commercial Development of DNage. Prior to DNage, he was an associate at Life Sciences Partners and has a PhD in Molecular Biology from the Erasmus University of Rotterdam and a post-doctoral training at Stanford University in California.
Dr. Francis Pinto, Chief Executive Officer, commented: "Pharming is moving into a growth era which requires a strategic focus on commercial development. I am very pleased with the strengthening of our commercial development team and am hopeful that the experience and expertise of Richard and Tolleiv, as well as the other members, will bring additional opportunities for the Company. We are very grateful to Frank who has been instrumental in developing Pharming's science and technology to produce our innovative therapeutic products. We respect his decision to pursue new opportunities and thank him for his contributions to the Company. We would also like to acknowledge the important role played by Samir in the turnaround of the Company during his tenure as member of the BOM. We are excited that he will now focus on the development of our business in the US, which likely represents the largest future market opportunity for Pharming."
Background on Pharming Group NV
Pharming Group NV is developing innovative products for the treatment of genetic disorders, ageing diseases, specialty products for surgical indications, intermediates for various applications and nutritional products. Pharming has two products in late stage development - RHUCIN® (recombinant human C1 inhibitor) for hereditary angioedema (MAA under review by EMEA) and human lactoferrin for use in food products (GRAS notification under review by US FDA). The advanced technologies of the Company include innovative platforms for the production of protein therapeutics and technology and processes for the purification and formulation of these products, as well as technologies in the field of tissue repair (via its collaboration with NovaThera) and DNA repair (via its acquisition of DNage). Additional information is available on the Pharming website, http://www.pharming.com and on http://www.dnage.nl.
This press release contains forward looking statements that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward looking statements. The press release also appears in Dutch. In the event of any inconsistency, the English version will prevail over the Dutch version.
Source: Pharming Group
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