Tuesday November 24, 6:30 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
Leo Kim, Formerly of Mycogen, Joins Xyris Corporation as Chief Technical Officer
SAN DIEGO--(BW HealthWire)--Nov. 24, 1998--Xyris Corporation, the majority-owned agricultural biotechnology affiliate of Axys Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:AXPH - news), today announced that Leo Kim, Ph.D., 56, has joined Xyris as chief technical officer.
Previously, Dr. Kim had been executive vice president and chief technical officer at Mycogen Corporation where he was responsible for Mycogen's worldwide research strategy and implementation since 1986. In his new position, Dr. Kim will be responsible for Xyris' overall research efforts. He will report directly to Jerry Caulder, Ph.D., Xyris' chairman and chief executive officer.
''Having worked extensively with Leo at Mycogen, I know first hand the caliber of scientist he is and the expertise and experience he brings to Xyris,'' said Jerry Caulder. ''Leo was instrumental in helping build Mycogen into a leader in the agricultural industry and I am very pleased that he will be playing a key role in helping build Xyris into an industry leader. In his over 20 years of relevant industry experience, Leo has been involved with every important aspect of what makes a company successful including the development and implementation of worldwide research strategies, the facilitation of deals and importantly, playing a leadership role in the development of proprietary science.''
John Walker, chairman and chief executive officer of Axys, stated, ''Jerry is clearly off to a great start with the hiring of Dr. Kim as Xyris' chief technical officer. Jerry and Dr. Kim have a proven track record of working together to build ideas into industry leading companies. I'm highly confident that Dr. Kim's knowledge and experience will have an immediate impact on the growth of Xyris and the implementation of Axys' technology platform.''
Prior to joining Mycogen in 1986 as vice president, research, Dr. Kim was principle scientist at Shell Development Company where he was the highest ranking scientist in the area of biotechnology. Dr. Kim was significantly involved in the foundation and establishment of Shell's agricultural biotechnology efforts including strategy and tactics. From 1982 to 1983, he served as research and development director at Biomedical Ventures and Interferon, Shell Oil Company. Prior to joining Shell Oil, Dr. Kim was manager, biological chemistry at the Biological Sciences Research Center in Modesto, California. Dr. Kim obtained a Ph. D. in organic chemistry from the University of Kansas at Lawrence and completed postdoctoral studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA. He has over 50 publications and patents to his name.
Xyris Corporation was formed in May 1998 as a majority owned agricultural biotechnology subsidiary of Axys Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Xyris is focused on creating products for crop protection, crop improvements, animal health, technology for the seed industry and human nutrition by leveraging Axys' discovery and combinatorial chemistry technologies. Initial funding for Xyris is being provided by Bay City Capital, a life sciences merchant bank and management advisory firm based in San Francisco.
Axys Pharmaceuticals is a leader in the integration of life science technologies with a focus on transforming gene discoveries into drugs. The company has research collaborations with world-class pharmaceutical companies, covering a broad range of therapeutic areas, including respiratory, cardiovascular, and infectious disease, as well as oncology and central nervous system disorders.
For more information on Axys Pharmaceuticals, Inc., please visit the company's website at axyspharm.com.
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