Healthcare Industry News: Activase
News Release - November 19, 2007
APT Pharmaceuticals Expands Management Team
Newly Created Positions Follow $22M A-2 Round of VC FundingBURLINGAME, CA--(Healthcare Sales & Marketing Network)--Nov 19, 2007 -- APT Pharmaceuticals, a specialty drug development company primarily focused on inhaled treatments for serious lung diseases, announced today that it has filled two new positions on its executive team with experienced industry veterans from Genentech.
Dr. Charles Johnson joins APT as Chief Medical Officer and will spearhead all of the company's clinical programs, including initiating a Phase III clinical trial in early 2008 for the company's lead program, Pulminiq(TM) (cyclosporine, USP Inhalation solution). Dr. Johnson brings over 13 years of drug development experience from Genentech. As Vice President and Head of the Immunology and Tissue Repair clinical group at Genentech from 2004-2007, he was responsible for the successful approvals of Rituxan® for RA and Lucentis® for Age Related Macular Degeneration and for the continued development of Pulmozyme®, Growth Hormone®, Activase/TNKase®, Rituxan®, Raptiva® and Xolair®. Dr. Johnson led the defense of the Biologic License Applications for Xolair® and Raptiva® at the FDA. His experience includes testifying before the Senate Subcommittee for Health on issues of patient protection in clinical research. Before joining Genentech, he was the Director of the Cystic Fibrosis Center at Washington University in St. Louis.
Amy Burroughs Nader joins APT as Head of Commercial and Business Development to prepare for the launch of Pulminiq(TM) and to develop partnerships for APT. Ms. Nader brings over 15 years of healthcare marketing and business experience to APT. She spent the last six years in the Commercial organization at Genentech and most recently served as Commercial Team Leader for the Genentech/Biogen Idec collaboration in multiple sclerosis. Her efforts included preparing for a launch of Rituxan® in PPMS and contributing to the development of a Phase III program in RRMS. Before joining Genentech, Ms. Nader served in marketing leadership roles at ePhysician, American WholeHealth, Athena Healthcare and Procter & Gamble.
"With the addition of Charlie and Amy to our existing team, we now have the clinical, technical, operational and commercial talent required to achieve our company objectives and bring products to market for significant unmet needs," commented Dr. Stephen Dilly, President and CEO of APT Pharmaceuticals. "For our lead Phase III program, Charlie and Amy bring experience, knowledge and a collaborative partnership to the team to ensure both clinical and commercial success."
These new appointments come on the heels of APT's announcement last month of the addition of a $22 million Series A-2 funding round and two new board members, Camille Samuels of Versant Ventures and David Kroin of Great Point Partners. Last June, APT finalized an agreement with Novartis to acquire the worldwide rights to Pulminiq(TM), an immunosuppressant that demonstrated a 78 percent reduction in mortality in lung transplant patients compared with the control group, according to a 2006 study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
About APT Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
APT Pharmaceuticals, a specialty drug development company primarily focused on inhaled treatments for serious lung diseases, is based in Burlingame, California. APT is backed by several leading health care investors including Vivo Ventures, Versant Ventures, Great Point Partners and Charter Life Sciences. For more information, please visit www.aptbio.com.
Source: APT Pharmaceuticals
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