|
October 5, 2004
Neurochem appoints Dr. Andreas Orfanos to position of Executive Vice President, Strategic Planning and
Scientific Affairs.
- Neurochem Inc. (NASDAQ: NRMX; TSX: NRM) today announced the appointment of Andreas Orfanos, M.B.B.Ch, MBA to the
position of Executive Vice President, Strategic Planning and Scientific Affairs. Dr. Orfanos will assume overall
responsibility for many of Neurochem's activities including research and development, as well as drug development
and global strategic planning.
"Dr. Orfanos brings to Neurochem close to 25 years of extensive and solid experience in the healthcare, medical
and pharmaceutical fields, including the area of research and development, strategic planning, as well as
commercialization," said Francesco Bellini, PhD, Chairman and CEO of Neurochem. "Throughout his career he
has held leadership positions with major pharmaceutical companies, both here in Canada and internationally. His global
business experience will be invaluable to Neurochem," Dr. Bellini concluded.
Dr. Orfanos began his career in healthcare in South Africa and helped launch and manage private hospitals in South
Africa with Lifecare (Pty) Ltd. In 1987 he joined Sandoz Products in South Africa as Medical Director and substantially
increased the company's participation in international clinical trials. Dr Orfanos was transferred to Sandoz Canada
in 1991, where he soon led the R&D department responsible for Phase II to Phase IV clinical trials. He expanded
the role of clinical studies to support products pre- and post- launch. In 1993, he established the first business unit
within Sandoz worldwide and championed the successful development, pre-marketing, launch, marketing and sales of
the company's number one product.
Within Novartis (following the merger of Sandoz and Ciba-Geigy) he served as Vice President of the Specialty
Business, during which he launched the oncology business in Canada and ensured double digit sales growth across the three
areas of neurology, immunology and oncology. He then moved on to leading the company's Strategic Planning and New
Product Development during which he led the strategic planning of the company and his team mapped out the entire
process for taking a product from Phase II to post-launch. At the same time he was a key member of the international
launch teams for Novartis' priority future products. Thereafter reporting to the Global Business Unit Head, Basle,
Switzerland, he successfully led the Transplantation-Immunology Business Unit in the face of intense market
competition.
For the past two years, Dr. Orfanos has held the position of Vice President at Picchio Pharma responsible for
identifying, evaluating and determining business opportunities in the biotechnology field. He has worked closely with
the companies in which Picchio has invested on both R&D and commercial projects at a strategic and tactical level.
Dr. Orfanos has had extensive experience taking products from the Phase II clinical development stage through to
launch and successful commercialization.
Dr. Orfanos completed his medical degree in Johannesburg, South Africa, at the University of Witwatersrand in
1981 where he also obtained his MBA in 1984. His MBA thesis focused on strategic healthcare marketing.
About Neurochem
Neurochem is focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapeutics for neurological disorders. The
Company's pipeline of proprietary, disease-modifying oral products addresses critical unmet medical needs.
Fibrillex™, designated as an orphan drug and as a Fast Track Product candidate, is also part of a Continuous
Marketing Applications Pilot 2 program and is currently in a Phase II/III clinical trial for the treatment of AA
Amyloidosis. Alzhemed™, for the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease, is in a Phase III clinical trial and
Cerebril™, for the prevention of Hemorrhagic Stroke caused by Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy, has completed a
Phase II clinical trial.
To Contact Neurochem
For additional information on Neurochem and its drug development programs, please call the North American toll-free
number 1 877 680-4500 or visit our Web Site at: www.neurochem.com.
Certain statements contained in this news release, other than statements of fact that are independently verifiable
at the date hereof, may constitute forward-looking statements. Such statements, based as they are on the current
expectations of management, inherently involve numerous risks and uncertainties, known and unknown, many of which
are beyond Neurochem's control. Such risks include but are not limited to: the impact of general economic conditions,
general conditions in the pharmaceutical industry, changes in the regulatory environment in the jurisdictions in which
Neurochem does business, stock market volatility, fluctuations in costs, and changes to the competitive environment due
to consolidation, as well as other risks disclosed in public filings of Neurochem. Consequently, actual future results
may differ materially from the anticipated results expressed in the forward-looking statements. The reader should
not place undue reliance on, if any, forward-looking statements included in this news release. These statements speak
only as of the date made and Neurochem is under no obligation and disavows any intention to update or revise such
statements as a result of any event, circumstances or otherwise.
For further Information, please contact:
Dr. Lise Hébert
Vice President, Corporate Communications
lhebert@neurochem.com
275 Armand-Frappier
Laval (Quebec)
H7V 4A7
Tel: (450) 680-4500
Fax: (450) 680-4501
|
