iTherX Pharmaceuticals Appoints Scientific Advisory Board for HCV
[I had not heard of this private company until now.]
biz.yahoo.com
›Tuesday August 19, 9:00 am ET
SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--iTherX Pharmaceuticals Inc, a privately held biopharmaceutical company, today announced that it has appointed a Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board to assist the company in the development of its novel therapeutic agents for Hepatitis C. iTherX is pioneering the introduction of a novel class of antivirals called entry inhibitors. These agents prevent the first step in virus infection: fusion with and entry into the liver cell. The company has identified unique molecular targets for Hepatitis C, and is developing two distinct series of therapeutics: HepaBloc™, which targets host cell proteins involved in infection, and ViraBloc™, which targets the viral envelope. In addition, iTherX scientists have identified a novel host cell receptor required for virus entry and will begin drug development against this target.
Members of the newly formed Advisory Board include: John McHutchison, MD (Chair) Professor of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Associate Director, Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University; Charles Rice, PhD, Professor of Virology, Rockefeller University and Director, Center for the Study of Hepatitis C; Robert Schooley, MD, Professor and Head, Division of Infectious Diseases, UCSD School of Medicine; and, Alan Perelson, PhD, Senior Fellow, Los Alamos National Laboratory.
“We are pleased to welcome this distinguished group to help guide us in our development of this new class of drugs to combat hepatitis C, which is the major cause of chronic liver disease, liver failure and primary liver cancer,” said Jeffrey McKelvy, Chairman and CEO of iTherX. Added McKelvy: “With this Advisory Board and our own scientific leadership by Dr. Flossie Wong-Staal, Chief Scientific officer of iTherX, and an internationally recognized virologist and a pioneer in the HIV field, iTherX is uniquely positioned to be a leader in the development of antiviral therapies.”
iTherX Pharmaceuticals is a private pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative products for the antiviral marketplace. Additional information on the company can be found at www.itherx.com.‹ |
