Promedior Moves Fibrosis Pipeline to Boston, Hires Shire plc Vet as CEO

MALVERN, Penn., May 15, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- --Company to Relocate Headquarters to Boston Area Promedior, Inc., a clinical stage biotechnology company developing novel biologic therapeutics for the treatment of fibrosis, today announced the appointment of Suzanne L. Bruhn, Ph.D., as President and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Bruhn takes on the role of CEO at a time when Promedior is rapidly advancing its product candidates in human clinical trials for diseases involving fibrosis, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), myelofibrosis, and retinal diseases. She is a seasoned biopharmaceutical leader with experience growing early stage R&D programs through clinical development and product commercialization.

Additionally, as part of the company's evolution, Promedior will move its headquarters and operations to the Boston area to access planned new hires in research and clinical drug development.

Dr. Bruhn has also been appointed to the Board of Directors for Promedior.

She succeeds Dominick Colangelo who has left Promedior to pursue other opportunities.

"We appreciate and recognize the contribution of former CEO Nick Colangelo and the team that has lead Promedior to this point," said Jim Broderick, M.D., Chairman of Promedior's Board of Directors and Partner at Morgenthaler Ventures. "We are extremely pleased that Sue, who is a distinguished and proven biotech leader with strong experience in commercializing novel therapeutics, has become Promedior's CEO. Sue's strong business leadership and success in commercializing biologic drugs will be a great asset for the company and its growing team. The company has recently completed a Series D financing and is in a strong position to enter more advanced clinical trials and execute on its business plan."

"I am excited to take on the opportunity and grow Promedior as a company with such broad potential to develop and commercialize novel therapeutics to address unmet needs of patients with serious fibrotic diseases," said Suzanne L. Bruhn, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Promedior. "I envision Promedior as a company with the potential to deliver multiple products from its drug development platform, and I look forward to building our new base of operations in the Boston biotech community where we can access talent as we become a product-focused company."

Prior to joining Promedior, Dr. Bruhn was Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning and Program Management for Shire's Human Genetic Therapies (HGT) division, where she played a key leadership role in the development of multiple protein therapeutics for orphan diseases with annual sales today of more than $1 billion. During her tenure at Shire and Transkaryotic Therapies (acquired by Shire in 2005), Dr. Bruhn was instrumental in advancing new compounds through clinical development and commercialization with significant roles driving product strategy, portfolio management, program management, and global Regulatory Affairs for the rare disease portfolio. Prior to that she was at Cytotherapeutics, Inc., and played a key role developing the encapsulated cell technology platform for ophthalmic delivery. She serves on the Board of Directors of Raptor Pharmaceuticals, a public biotechnology company, and Crittenton Women's Union (CWU), a local non-profit organization helping low-income women. Dr. Bruhn was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Human Genetics at Harvard Medical School and earned a PhD in Chemistry from MIT and a BS from Iowa State University.

About Promedior

Promedior is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel biologic therapeutics to treat fibroproliferative diseases. The company has successfully advanced lead therapeutic candidates in human clinical trials, and is focused on rare fibrotic diseases including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), myelofibrosis, and fibrovascular retinal diseases. With a unique mechanism of action that harnesses natural biologic pathways, Promedior's proprietary new class of pentraxin therapeutics can create first-in-class treatments to meet the significant unmet medical needs in fibrotic diseases. Promedior has raised approximately $60 million from leading global healthcare venture investors and developed and secured important intellectual property relating to the discoveries and applications of pentraxin therapeutics.

For additional information about Promedior, please visit http://www.promedior.com .

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SOURCE: Promedior, Inc.

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