Pharmos Corporation Strengthens Research & Development Management;
Appointments Address Development and Business Needs
Monday, March 8, 1999 07:00 AM
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ISELIN, N.J., March 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Pharmos Corporation (Nasdaq: PARS) today announced that it
had strengthened its research and development (RAD) unit in order to allow management to focus
greater attention on development and commercialization activities, particularly the dexanabinol project,
currently in Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of severe head trauma.
As part of the strategy, the Company has expanded the former position of Vice-President Research &
Development into two posts and added the position of Vice President -- Clinical and Regulatory Affairs.
On the development side, Michael Schickler, Ph.D., previously Managing Director of the Company's
R&D facility in Rehovot, Israel, has been promoted to Vice President -- Development. Nadim Y.
Kassem, M.D., a pharmaceutical biotechnology industry veteran with more than 20 years of R&D and
regulatory experience, has been named to the newly created post of Vice President -- Clinical and
Regulatory Affairs. On the research side, George Fink, M.D., Ph.D., a leading researcher specializing
in neuroendocrinology and neuropharmacology, has joined the Company as Vice President-Research.
During his six years with Pharmos, Dr. Schickler has been heavily involved in the development of the
Company's ophthalmic product line. Prior to his tenure at Pharmos, Dr. Schickler was a research
associate at Roche Institute of Molecular Biology, Hoffmann-La Roche, Inc. in Nutley, NJ. He holds a
Ph.D. degree in molecular biology from the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel (1989) and has
business training from Humberside University in the UK (1998).
Dr. Kassem has been working with Pharmos as a consultant in clinical and regulatory affairs since
May 1998. His professional background includes the submission and approval of seven New Drug
Applications (NDAs) in the areas of central nervous system, allergy, cancer therapy and cardiovascular
disease. Before coming to Pharmos, Dr. Kassem served as Senior Vice President and Chief Medical
Officer of Bio-Technology General Corporation. He has also served as Director of Revlon Division of
Medical Research and as Senior Director of the Internal Medicine division of Schering Corporation, a
subsidiary of Schering-Plough Corporation. His office will be located at Pharmos' Iselin, NJ
headquarters.
On the research side, Dr. Fink brings to Pharmos more than three decades of leading-edge experience
in biomedical research, focusing on the central nervous system. His discoveries, reported in over 340
scientific publications, have facilitated the treatment of hormone-dependent tumors, precocious puberty
and infertility. Dr. Fink's work has expanded the scientific understanding of numerous mental disorders,
particularly puerperal psychosis, perimenopause and pre-menstrual syndrome. He received his Ph.D.
from Oxford University in 1967.
In 1996, Dr. Fink was appointed chairman of the Assessment Panel of the European Union
Biomedicine Programme. He has served as Honorary Professor at the University of Edinburgh since
1984. Among the many other positions he has held in his career are the director of the British Medical
Research Council's Brain Metabolism Unit, and, currently, Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of
Stress. He is also a member of the editorial boards of several publications, including Endocrinology,
Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology and Psychoneuroendocrinology and Stress.
Anat Biegon, Ph.D., will resign from her present post as Vice-President -- Research & Development in
April 1999 in order to pursue other interests. She will, however, continue to support the dexanabinol
development program and will be working with the Company through 1999. "We appreciate Dr. Biegon's
substantial contribution to the development of dexanabinol and wish her the very best in her pursuits,"
said Haim Aviv, Ph.D., Chairman and CEO of Pharmos.
"The enhancement of our management team stems from our commitment to realize the full potential of
dexanabinol, as well as our broader product pipeline," stated Gad Riesenfeld, Ph.D., President and
COO of Pharmos Corporation.
Pharmos Corporation is a pharmaceutical company specializing in the modification of existing
molecules through proprietary techniques to reduce undesirable side effects and/or enhance efficacy.
This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risk and uncertainties. The actual
development of the company's products may differ materially from the company's expectations. Among
the factors that could result in a materially different outcome are the uncertainties inherent in new
product development, action of regulatory authorities and the results of further trials.
SOURCE Pharmos Corporation
CONTACT: Gwyn Crosson, Director, Corporate Communications of Pharmos Corporation,
732-603-3526 |
