BioStratum Incorporated, a worldwide leader in drug development based on basal lamina research, announced the election of two new directors. Joining the Company's Board are: Thomas W. D'Alonzo, former President of Glaxo Inc, and Paul A. Marks, President Emeritus of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
"Thomas and Paul bring enormous value to BioStratum," said Dr. Claus Kuhl, BioStratum President and CEO. "Their insights and guidance will be invaluable as we move our products through the clinic and towards commercialization. Thomas' nearly 20 years as a pharmaceutical executive have given him a deep understanding of the industry, and Paul is internationally recognised for his lifelong work in cancer research and patient care."
Pyridorin, BioStratum's lead drug candidate currently in Phase II clinical trials, is targeted at treating diabetic kidney disease. Angiocol, a late-stage preclinical compound that BioStratum expects will enter Phase I clinical trials in late 2001, is an anti-angiogenesis agent that has dramatically inhibited the growth and spread of tumors in certain in vivo models.
D'Alonzo most recently served as President of Pharmaceutical Product Development Inc (PPD), a multinational clinical research organization. Previously, he was President of Glaxo Inc and of GenVec Inc. He also serves on the Boards of Directors of Salix Pharmaceuticals Inc Amarillo Biosciences Inc and Accordant Healthcare Inc.
Dr. Marks, a recognised leader in the cancer field, was President and Chief Executive Officer of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York from 1980 to 1999. Previously Dr. Marks held teaching and research positions at Columbia University for 25 years. In addition, he has served as an advisor to the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and other governmental bodies. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine, as well as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has received numerous honors and awards, including the President's National Medal of Science. In addition, he has published more than 375 scientific articles in various scholarly journals.