Thursday June 8, 7:01 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
InterMune Announces Senior Management Hires
BURLINGAME, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--June 8, 2000--InterMune Pharmaceuticals,
Inc. (Nasdaq: ITMN - news) announced today the appointment of John J. Wulf to the
position of Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Karen Starko, M.D., as Senior Director of Clinical
Research.
``John and Karen each have impressive track records in the life science industry, including over 25 years of combined
experience at Genentech,'' stated W. Scott Harkonen, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of InterMune. ``John's
leadership in business development and Karen's expertise in clinical development are important additions to our management
team. Both of these individuals have worked with ACTIMMUNE© before, and they have joined InterMune in order to help
build the next interferon success story.''
Mr. Wulf most recently served as Vice President of Business Development with Axys Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in South San
Francisco. While at Axys, he was responsible for the corporate partnering of research programs, as well as the assessment and
in-licensing of preclinical and clinical product opportunities. He spent 17 years at Genentech, Inc., ultimately serving as Director
of Business Development and Far East Representative. In this capacity, Mr. Wulf was responsible for licensing of research and
development programs as well as business development in Japan. He holds an M.B.A. from San Francisco State University,
received his M.S. (Microbiology) from Oregon State University and his B.A. (Microbiology) from the University of California
at Davis.
Dr. Starko joins InterMune after 12 years with Genentech where she held a number of clinical research positions. Dr. Starko
was responsible for the design, development, and coordination of many clinical trials involving cytokines, small molecules, and
monoclonal antibodies as well as several clinical collaborations including those with XOMA, Millennium Pharmaceuticals and
Inspire Pharmaceuticals. Prior to working in biotechnology, while an officer with the Centers for Disease Control of the U.S.
Public Health Service, Dr. Starko conducted the first epidemiologic study linking a highly-fatal childhood disease, Reye's
Syndrome, to the use of aspirin. As a result, this disease is now rarely seen in the United States. She holds an M.D. from
Temple University School of Medicine, served an internal medicine residency at Boston City Hospital, and was an Infectious
Disease Fellow at both Brown and Harvard Universities. Dr. Starko received her B.A. from Gettysburg College.
InterMune Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biotechnology company dedicated to the development and commercialization of
innovative products for the treatment of serious pulmonary, infectious and congenital diseases. InterMune currently markets
ACTIMMUNE© (Interferon gamma-1b) Injection in the United States for the treatment of chronic granulomatous disease
(CGD) and osteopetrosis. For more information about InterMune and ACTIMMUNE©, please visit InterMune's web sites at
www.intermune.com and www.actimmune.com, or send e-mail to ir@intermune.com.
Except for the historical information contained herein, this press release contains certain forward-looking statements that involve
risks and uncertainties. All forward-looking statements and other information included in this press release are based on
information available to InterMune as of the date hereof, and InterMune assumes no obligation to update any such
forward-looking statements or information. InterMune's actual results could differ materially from those described in
InterMune's forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited
to, those discussed under the heading ``Risk Factors'' and the risks and factors discussed in InterMune's Registration Statement
on Form S-1 declared effective on March 23, 2000 by the Securities and Exchange Commission (File No. 333-96029) and
InterMune's most recent 10-Q filed with the SEC. In sum, these significant risks include, but are not limited to: the success of
InterMune's efforts in research, development, commercialization, product acceptance, third-party manufacturing and capital
raising; product liability lawsuits; uncertainties associated with: obtaining and enforcing patents important to its business, being
an early-stage company and relying on third-party payors' reimbursement policies; the lengthy and expensive regulatory process
and competition from other products. Even if InterMune's products appear promising at an early stage of development, they
may not reach the market for a number of reasons. Such reasons include, but are not limited to, the possibilities that the
potential products will be found ineffective during clinical trials, fail to receive the necessary regulatory approvals, be difficult to
manufacture on a large scale, be uneconomical to market or be precluded from commercialization by the proprietary rights of
third parties.
Contact:
InterMune Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Burlingame
Tim Lynch, Chief Financial Officer, 650/409-2028
or
Burns McClellan, New York
Jonathan M. Nugent, 212/213-0006 (investors)
Justin Jackson, 212/213-0006 (media) |
