Bunnik, The Netherlands,18 February 2008. AM-Pharma B.V., the biopharmaceutical company developing optimised endogenous proteins and peptides to combat disease, today announced the appointment of Jacques Arend as Jacques Arend, MD joined the pharmaceutical industry in 1988, in medical and clinical development positions. He started at SmithKline Beecham, and then became international coordinator clinical development with Yamanouchi Pharma’s European office. He was medical director for Novo Nordisk, where he subsequently held three international positions as director medical, regulatory and quality based in Austria, Greece and Switzerland, with responsibility over the largest geographical region in Novo Nordisk, setting up clinical studies in Europe, Latin America, Eastern Europe, India, China, South Africa, North Africa and Gulf region, the Far and Middle East. After his return to The Netherlands Jacques became medical director for Grünenthal. Most recently he was the medical director for Kendle’s phase one 50 beds Clinical Pharmacology Unit in Utrecht. Prior to his positions in the pharmaceutical industry Jacques was a clinical research physician, followed by a SHO position in Surgery.
Jacques Arend MD brings to the position a wealth of over twenty years of international experience in medical and clinical development. His previous work experience includes clinical development positions at SmithKline Beecham, Yamanouchi, Novo Nordisk, Grünenthal, with his most recent position at Kendle where he was the Medical Director for the Phase I and Clinical Pharmacology Unit.
Jacques Arend MD replaces Chief Medical Officer Luiz Porto MD, who will remain involved with AM-Pharma as Clinical Regulatory Consultant.
Bart Wuurman, CEO commented: “We are very pleased that Jacques, with his outstanding experience in clinical development, has joined our team in the key position of VP Clinical Development. During the next 18 months, we expect to finalise four Phase IIa clinical trials which aim to confirm proof of concept for two of our products and further add to the value of AM-Pharma.”
Jacques Arend added: ”The two specialist hospital care products AM-Pharma
is developing have the potential to make a significant impact on the treatment
of Infectious Diseases, Acute Renal Failure and Ulcerative Colitis. I am looking
forward to joining AM-Pharma and assisting in the development of these products
and the company’s pipeline.”
Notes to editors:
About AM-Pharma www.am-pharma.com
AM-Pharma is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the preclinical and clinical
development of novel compounds in the field of specialist hospital care. Its
two clinical Phase II products are based on endogenous molecules which have
been optimised to combat disease.
Last year AM-Pharma announced positive results in two Phase IIa studies with bovine Alkaline Phosphatase in Acute Renal Failure and severe Ulcerative Colitis. A second Phase IIa confirmatory trial with bovine Alkaline Phosphatase in Acute Renal Failure is about to start. In parallel, AM-Pharma has started GMP manufacturing of a human recombinant Alkaline Phosphatase.
Anti-Microbial Peptide hLF1-11 was shown to be safe in Phase I trials. Phase IIa studies in treatment of drug resistant hospital acquired bacterial infections and for treatment of systemic Candida infections are expected to start this summer.
Now that Proof of Concept has been established for bovine derived Alkaline Phosphatase in Acute Renal Failure and Ulcerative Colitis, AM-Pharma has started discussions with potential world-wide development and marketing partners for its products while further safety and efficacy data are being collected in developmental Phase II clinical trials.
AM-Pharma is based in Bunnik, The Netherlands with a staff of 20. The company
is financed by, amongst others, Forbion Capital Partners, Inventages Venture
Capital and Theratase plc.
For further information, please contact
College Hill – Life Sciences
Adam Michael / Justine Lamond / Holly Griffiths
Tel: +44 (0)20 7866 7857
ampharma@collegehill.com
AM-Pharma
CEO Bart Wuurman
Tel: +31 (0)30 2289222
www.am-pharma.com