Aastrom Biosciences Names Holger Beckmann As Managing Director of German Subsidiary
June 07, 2001 08:02:00 AM ET
- Appointment to Strengthen Aastrom's European Business and Market Support -
ANN ARBOR, Mich., June 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. ASTM announced today that Holger Beckmann has been appointed as a Managing Director of Zellera AG (Zellera), Aastrom's wholly-owned subsidiary located in Berlin, Germany. Aastrom is preparing to market its lead CE Mark-approved cell therapy products in Europe, and Mr. Beckmann will immediately oversee European business operations.
This appointment provides on-site leadership for Zellera, and represents the initiation of plans for employee-based operations in Europe. Zellera is intended to provide Aastrom with a greater capability to access and support the commercial market for its products, as well as increase the opportunity for research and development collaboration in Europe.
"Aastrom's recent and expected CE Mark approvals for the AastromReplicell(TM) System cell therapy products now enable us to begin marketing and selling these products in Europe. Although we have been conducting some of this lead activity from the U.S., the market need is expected to require full-time European support," said R. Douglas Armstrong, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Aastrom. "Mr. Beckmann's experience in developing, building and managing medical product sales organizations is expected to contribute significantly to effectively delivering Aastrom's cell therapy products into the European market. Further, we believe that having a functional European-based operation, should expand our business opportunities."
Aastrom expects to announce later in the year further information with respect to an overall business plan for Zellera AG, but will immediately utilize it as the vehicle for developing its European commercial business. In addition to the new Dendricell(TM) dendritic cell products for emerging cancer vaccine applications, Aastrom's SC-I bone marrow stem cell and CB-I cord blood cell products are all expected to be made available to the European commercial marketplace in the coming months.
"Europe represents the lead market for Aastrom's new products, and offers both customer and research collaboration opportunities. Mr. Beckmann's combined experience in the medical device and pharmaceutical fields are ideally suited for leading our European business activities," stated Audrey H. Hutter, Vice President Market Operations at Aastrom. "German medical centers are among the world leaders in the development of dendritic cell-based vaccines for the treatment of cancers including renal cell carcinoma, melanoma and breast cancer. We have been establishing relationships with several of these centers to utilize the AastromReplicell(TM) System and its Dendricell(TM) cell product for these vaccines. We will continue to leverage these relationships toward widespread use of our cell therapy products throughout Europe."
Prior to joining Zellera, Mr. Beckmann held various international operations, management and sales positions with Bayer AG, IMEX Warenhandel GmbH and with PlasmaSelect AG. Mr. Beckmann can be reached at Zellera AG's offices in Berlin by phone at 49-30-2065-9165, and by email at Beckmann.Zellera@t-online.de.
Aastrom is a leader in the development of proprietary cell therapeutics and cell products based on the Company's dual-technology platforms: patented "single-pass perfusion" providing cells with enhanced biological function, and patented GMP-compliant system automation facilitating the delivery of cells for therapeutic use into medical practice. These technologies are integrated into the AastromReplicell(TM) System that is designed to uniquely standardize and automate the processes involved in producing high quality therapeutic cells. Aastrom is developing the DC-I and Dendricell(TM) dendritic cell products for use in the rapidly emerging cancer vaccine market, and the OC-I bone progenitor cell product for the treatment of degenerative bone diseases such as osteoporosis. The AastromReplicell(TM) System, the SC-I bone marrow stem cell product and the CB-I cord blood cell product have received CE Mark approval necessary for European marketing and are in late-stage U.S. clinical trials. These products are not available for sale at this time in the U.S., except for research or investigational use.
Please visit the Company's website at aastrom.com.
CONTACTS: Todd E. Simpson
VP Finance & Administration, CFO
Aastrom Biosciences, Inc.
Phone: 734-930-5777
Noonan/Russo Communications, Inc.
Phone: 212-696-4455
Hala Bashir, ext. 356 (media)
David Walsey, ext. 230 (investors)
This document contains forward-looking statements, including without limitation, statements regarding product development objectives, commercial introduction and market development plans, and potential advantages and applications of the AastromReplicell(TM) System, which involve certain risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements are also identified through use of the words "plans," "potential," "intended," "expected," and other words of similar meaning. Actual results may differ significantly from the expectations contained in the forward-looking statements. Among the factors that may result in differences are the results obtained from clinical trial and development activities, the availability of resources, evaluations and decisions made by potential strategic collaborators, regulatory approval requirements, development of competing technologies and the degree to which the Aastrom's products achieve market acceptance. These and other significant factors are discussed in greater detail in Aastrom's Annual Report on Form-10K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. |
