Former Pfizer Inc. Director of Inflammation Molecular Sciences to Spearhead Velcura Therapeutics, Inc. Inflammatory Disease Initiatives
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Richard D. Dyer, PhD, has been appointed Executive Vice President of Product Development for Velcura Therapeutics, Inc., an early stage biotechnology company developing potentially breakthrough therapies to treat bone diseases.
"We are pleased to add an individual of such high scientific caliber to our management team. Dr. Dyer will oversee our programs to develop second- generation therapies for bone diseases; he also will lead our new initiatives in inflammatory diseases." said Michael W. Long, PhD, president and CEO of Velcura Therapeutics, Inc.
Previous to joining Velcura Therapeutics Dr. Dyer was Vice President of Scientific Affairs and Development at TCH Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Prior to TCH, Dr. Dyer held progressively responsible positions at Pfizer Global Research and Development in Ann Arbor, eventually becoming Director of Inflammation Molecular Sciences and Technology. During his tenure with Pfizer, Dr. Dyer also provided scientific leadership at the distinguished position of Research Fellow in both Biochemistry and Inflammation Pharmacology.
Dr. Dyer completed his bachelors and masters degrees at Purdue University where he was a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Predoctoral Trainee in Environmental Toxicology and Radiation Health. He went on to earn his doctorate degree from the University of Wisconsin where he was both a NIH and Ford Foundation Predoctoral Trainee in Endocrinology/Reproductive Physiology. He was a NIH Postdoctoral Trainee in Endocrinology and Hypertension at the Medical College of Ohio before joining the Pharmaceutical Products Division of Abbott Laboratories in Illinois, where he played a pivotal role in the discovery and development of the FDA approved asthma treatment, Zyflo.
Dr. Dyer is past president and long-standing board member of the Inflammation Research Association. He has served as committee member and assisted in organizing various scientific conferences, including the World Conference on Inflammation, and is frequently invited to present at scientific congresses focused on inflammatory diseases. Dr. Dyer has published more than 50 research papers in well-respected journals and is a Reviewer for Biochemical Pharmacology, Endocrinology, Inflammation Research, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, and Prostaglandins. Dr. Dyer is holder of five patents.
About Velcura Therapeutics(R), Inc.
Velcura Therapeutics Inc. is an early stage biotechnology company headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Velcura's research focus is to better understand human bone disease and to discover novel therapeutics that restore bone health. Velcura develops highly differentiated therapies for bone disease; specifically, dual-acting therapies that demonstrate both anabolic bone-building and anti- bone-loss activities in a single molecule. Velcura uses its patented platform technologies to discover and optimize compounds that both simulate and inhibit bone growth. Velcura's lead compound, VEL-0230 was identified using these bone assays. More information is at www.velcura.com
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CONTACT: Cindy Orlandi, APR, ABC of Velcura Therapeutics Inc.,
+1-734-250-2619, +1-734-973-1000, corlandi@velcura.com
Web site: http://www.velcura.com/