Tommy G. Thompson, Former Secretary of Health and Human Services, Appointed to Tamir Biotechnology, Inc. (Formerly Known as Alfacell Corporation) as Special Advisor to CEO and Chairman of Oncology and Anti-Viral Business Development Advisory Committee
Secretary Thompson previously was a Special Advisor to the company, but in 2008 he took a leave of absence from the company for personal reasons. Under his expanded duties and responsibilities, Secretary Thompson will chair the newly-created Oncology and Anti-Viral Business Development Committee which will include members of the Company's senior management team and Board of Directors. The committee will focus on advancement and strategic positioning of the Company's compounds in the areas of oncology and virology.
"I am extremely pleased to serve in my expanded roles with Tamir, a company with a deep commitment to developing potential breakthroughs in the treatment of cancer and virology," stated Thompson. "I am delighted with the company's prospects in further development of its technology platform in the areas of oncology and virology. Recent test results by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) confirm Tamir's role as a global leader in ribonuclease-based drug therapies in oncology as well as virology. These results have the potential to provide new therapies for those patients who suffer from these deadly diseases," stated Thompson.
"It is a privilege to have a preeminent authority on issues involving healthcare like Secretary Thompson on our team. He has dedicated his professional life to public service and is a leading advocate for the health and welfare of all Americans. Additionally, he is committed to finding drugs that can eradicate viral diseases inflicted on those individuals less fortunate in developing countries throughout the world. It is an honor to have Secretary Thompson, our nation's greatest ambassador on healthcare, biodefense preparedness, and Neglected Infectious Diseases as Special Advisor to my office. Under his direction, Secretary Thompson will be providing executive leadership, organizational direction, and guidance for further research and development of our compounds in government, academia, and industry," stated Charles Muniz, Chief Executive Officer of Tamir.
About Tommy G. Thompson
Tommy G. Thompson focuses on developing solutions for clients in the health care industry, as well as for companies doing business in the public sector.
Before entering the private sector in 2005, Secretary Thompson enjoyed a long and distinguished career in public service. Elected governor of Wisconsin in 1986, he was reelected in 1990, and in 1994 became the first governor in the state's history to be elected to a third four-year term. In 1998 he was elected to a fourth term, and served in that position until his appointment as secretary of Health & Human Services in 2001.
As the head of the Department of Health & Human Services, Secretary Thompson served as the nation's leading advocate for the health and welfare of all Americans. He worked to modernize and add prescription drug coverage to Medicare for the first time in the program's history.
A leading advocate of welfare reform, he also focused on expanding services to seniors, the disabled and low-income Americans.
Secretary Thompson is well-known for his contributions to the U.S. response to the threat of bioterrorism and for his leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the United States and abroad, and he is chairman emeritus of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Secretary Thompson has received numerous awards for his public service, including the Anti-Defamation League's Distinguished Public Service Award, Governing Magazine's Public Official of the Year Award and the Horatio Alger Award, which is awarded annually to "dedicated community leaders who demonstrate individual initiative and a commitment to excellence -- as exemplified by remarkable achievements accomplished through honesty, hard work, self-reliance, and perseverance." He is a former chairman of the National Governors' Association, the Education Commission of the States and the Midwestern Governors' Conference.
About Tamir Biotechnology, Inc.
Tamir Biotechnology, Inc. (formerly Alfacell Corporation) is the first company to advance a biopharmaceutical product candidate that works in a manner similar to RNA interference (RNAi) through late-stage clinical trials. The product candidate, ONCONASE(R), is an RNase that overcomes the challenges of targeting RNA for therapeutic purposes while enabling the development of a new class of targeted therapies for cancer, viruses, and other life-threatening diseases. For more information, visit www.tamirbio.com.
Safe Harbor: This press release includes statements that may constitute "forward-looking" statements, usually containing the words "believe," "estimate," "project," "expect" or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that would cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, uncertainty whether the clinical trial results will allow the company to complete submission of a New Drug Application and if a New Drug Application submission is completed, uncertainty whether FDA will file or approve such application, uncertainties involved in transitioning from concept to product, uncertainties involving the ability of the company to finance research and development activities, potential challenges to or violations of patents, uncertainties regarding the outcome of clinical trials or differences of opinion in interpreting the results of clinical trials, the company's ability to secure necessary approvals from regulatory agencies, dependence upon third-party vendors, and other risks discussed in the company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. By making these forward-looking statements, the company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release.
CONTACT: Tamir Biotechnology, Inc. Charles Muniz, President, CEO and CFO 732-652-4540