Martinsried/Munich (Germany) and Waltham/Boston, MA (USA), May 21, 2002 - GPC Biotech AG (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: GPC), a leading genomics- and proteomics-driven drug discovery and development company, today announced it has expanded its management team to ensure the successful forward-integration of the Company, placing greater focus on its clinical drug development activities.
- Management Organization Reflects Growing Importance of Clinical Development -
Sebastian Meier-Ewert, Ph.D., the Company's current Senior Vice President of Research, has been appointed Chief Scientific Officer of GPC Biotech, responsible for the Company's worldwide research and drug discovery activities. Dr. Meier-Ewert has also been named Chief Operating Officer of the Company's Waltham/Boston site. He will move from Munich to Waltham/Boston. Marcel Rozencweig, M.D., Senior Vice President, Drug Development, will continue to head the Company's worldwide pre-clinical and clinical drug development. Together, Dr. Meier-Ewert and Dr. Rozencweig now represent GPC Biotech's worldwide R&D leadership.
GPC Biotech significantly expanded its Clinical Development Group in Princeton, NJ, by appointing four renowned experts in their respective fields, namely Edward F. McNiff, Ph.D., as Vice President, Pharmaceutical Development; Thomas J. McKearn, M.D., Ph.D., as Vice President, Medical Affairs; Michael Petrone, M.D., as Vice President, Clinical Operations; and John R. Slayback, Ph.D. as Director, Analytical & Formulation Development/Outsourcing.
Dr. McNiff, Dr. McKearn and Dr. Petrone will report to Dr. Rozencweig. These recent appointments reflect the growing importance of GPC Biotech's clinical development activities. GPC Biotech is pursuing a number of drug discovery and development programs. Clinical development will primarily be focused on oncology.
Dr. McNiff will be responsible for the design and implementation of GPC Biotech's pharmaceutical development strategy for new lead candidates as they enter development, through eventual registration and commercialization. These responsibilities include analytical and process chemistry, dosage form development, quality assurance, metabolism and pharmacokinetics. Prior to joining GPC Biotech, Dr. McNiff held several executive positions at Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. His most recent position was Vice President, Analytical Research and Development at Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Pharmaceutical Research Institute, supporting pharmaceutical development activities spanning the identification of new drug candidates through registration, launch and life-cycle activities.
Dr. Slayback, Director, Analytical & Formulation Development/Outsourcing will report to Dr. McNiff and will be in charge of establishing, coordinating and monitoring external development service providers, such as contract manufacturers and laboratories, that will be involved in GPC Biotech's drug development programs. Prior to joining GPC Biotech, Dr. Slayback was Director Analytical R&D, Late Development and Outsourcing at Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.
Dr. McKearn, Vice President, Medical Affairs will be responsible for the design and implementation of GPC Biotech's clinical and regulatory development strategy for new lead candidates as they enter development through eventual registration and commercialization. His responsibilities include oversight of all clinical study protocols, selection of investigators, and the review and analysis of study results. This position also serves as the primary point of contact with worldwide regulatory agencies and health authorities. Furthermore, Dr. McKearn will play a key role in GPC Biotech's compound in-licensing strategy. Prior to joining GPC Biotech, Dr. McKearn held several executive positions both in biotech and in the pharmaceutical industry. Dr. McKearn was a founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cytogen Corporation. His most recent position was Executive Director, Strategic Science & Medicine at Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Pharmaceutical Research Institute.
Dr. Petrone will be joining GPC Biotech in July as Vice President, Clinical Operations. In that capacity, he will be responsible for project planning and clinical outsourcing. Dr. Petrone has 10 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry in the area of strategic planning, product development, and clinical research from the initiation of clinical trials to marketing approval. He brings extensive expertise and leadership in new drug development and Clinical Research Organization management. Prior to joining GPC Biotech, he was with the Roberts Pharmaceutical Corporation as Vice President, Clinical Research and Medical Affairs, and more recently with the Genaera Corporation as, Vice President, Clinical Research and Regulatory Affairs.
The Company also announced that Muz Mansuri, Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Waltham/Boston research facility, has resigned from his executive position to pursue other interests in the venture capital arena to be announced shortly, but will remain closely affiliated with the Company as a consultant in the fields of drug discovery and compound in-licensing.
Bernd R. Seizinger, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of GPC Biotech said, "GPC Biotech has demonstrated again that it can attract high-caliber executives to its prime growth area of drug development. Furthermore, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Muz Mansuri for his many key contributions to building GPC Biotech during the last years. We are delighted that Muz will continue to be closely affiliated with the Company as a consultant. The new R&D leadership structure, with Sebastian Meier-Ewert in charge of research and drug discovery, and Marcel Rozencweig responsible for the Company's pre-clinical and clinical drug development, has created the necessary organizational matrix to ensure GPC Biotech's smooth transition into a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company."
GPC Biotech AG is a genomics- and proteomics-driven drug discovery and development company focused on applying a number of proprietary genomic, proteomic and drug discovery technologies to accelerate the discovery and development of mechanism-based drugs in oncology, infectious diseases and immunology. GPC Biotech has leading cell cycle expertise and a broad intellectual property position. Drug discovery alliance partners include: ALTANA Pharma of ALTANA AG (ALT.FSE), Aventis Pharma (PAVE.PSE), Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH and MorphoSys AG (MOR.FSE). GPC Biotech AG is headquartered in Martinsried/Munich (Germany) with two wholly owned US subsidiaries in Waltham/Boston, MA and in Princeton, NJ. For further information, please visit the corporate website at: http://www.gpc-biotech.com.
For further information please contact:
Petra Bassen
Head of Investor Relations & Corporate Communications
Phone: +49 (0)89 8565-2691
Fax: +49 (0)89 8565-2610
info@gpc-biotech.com
Eva Schier
Investor Relations & Corporate Communications Specialist
Phone: +49 (0)89 8565-2693
The economic projections and forward-looking statements contained in this document relate to future facts. Such projections and forward-looking statements are subject to risks which cannot be foreseen and which are beyond the control of GPC Biotech AG. GPC Biotech AG is therefore not in a position to make any representation as to the accuracy of economic projections and forward-looking statements or their impact on the financial situation of GPC Biotech AG or the market in the shares of GPC Biotech AG.
