Ceregene Announces Additions to Management Team
Dominick Vacante, Ph.D., and Brooks Ensign Assume Key Positions in Product And Business Development
SAN DIEGO, March 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Ceregene, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on gene therapies for neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, announced today the appointment of two new members to its management team.
Dominick Vacante, Ph.D., has joined Ceregene as senior director of product development. Dr. Vacante has 13 years of experience in the manufacturing of biotechnology products and has extensive knowledge of the development and manufacturing of viral gene delivery systems in the GLP/GMP (Good Laboratory Practices/Good Manufacturing Practices) environment. Prior to joining Ceregene, he was director of research and development at BioReliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: BREL - news) where he was a founder of their viral vector manufacturing operation. He previously served on the staff of the Infectious Diseases Branch of the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Vacante holds a Ph.D. degree in biochemistry and completed post-doctoral training in molecular biology.
Brooks Ensign has joined Ceregene as director of business development. Mr. Ensign recently served as director of business development with AVIVA Biosciences, where he led fund-raising, technology licensing, and public relations programs. His previous positions included negotiating international pharmaceutical acquisitions at ICN Pharmaceuticals and supporting the launch of two novel biotechnology products with Advanced Tissue Sciences. Mr. Ensign holds an M.B.A. degree from Harvard Business School.
``Ceregene is pleased to welcome Dominick Vacante, Ph.D. and Brooks Ensign, who bring critical skills to Ceregene as we accelerate our product and business development programs,'' stated Jeffrey M. Ostrove, Ph.D., president and chief operating officer of Ceregene. ``We have also recently recruited talented neuroscientists and molecular biologists in our ongoing efforts to build our research and development team.''
Ceregene, Inc. is a San Diego-based biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of gene therapies for neurological disorders including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Ceregene was launched in January 2001 as a majority-owned subsidiary of Cell Genesys, Inc. (Nasdaq: CEGE - news), which is headquartered in Foster City, CA.
Statements made herein about Ceregene and Cell Genesys, other than statements of historical fact, including statements about the nature of product pipelines are forward-looking statements and are subject to a number of uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made including risks associated with the success of research and development programs, clinical trials, the regulatory approval process for clinical trials, competitive technologies and products, patents, continuation of corporate partnerships and the need for additional financings. For information about these and other risks which may affect Ceregene and Cell Genesys, please see the Cell Genesys' Annual Report on Form 10-K dated April 2, 2001 as well as Cell Genesys' reports on Form 10-Q and 8-K and other reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
CONTACT: Jeffrey M. Ostrove, Ph.D., President and COO of Ceregene, +1-858-824-7420
SOURCE: Ceregene, Inc. |
