SAN DIEGO, March 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Afraxis, a San Diego-based biotechnology company developing drugs to treat central nervous system (CNS) disorders, today announced the appointment of David Campbell, Ph.D., as chief scientific officer and Carmine Stengone as vice president, corporate development.
“The appointment of Dr. Campbell and Mr. Stengone represents a critical extension of our management team and provides an important foundation as we move several product candidates through the clinic to proof-of-concept,” said Jay Lichter, Ph.D., president and CEO of Afraxis. “Dr. Campbell’s experience in biotechnology and large pharmaceutical companies and Mr. Stengone’s business savvy make them uniquely suited for achieving the objectives of Afraxis.”
Afraxis’ lead compound is initially being developed for Fragile X syndrome, an orphan disease. The compound targets p21-activated kinase (PAK), an enzyme that regulates dendritic spine development. The compound has been shown to improve both synaptic development and behavioral abnormalities associated with Fragile X syndrome in an animal model and also has potential in schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease.
About the Appointees
Prior to Afraxis, Dr. Campbell served as a member of the Phenomix Corporation executive team since 2003. Most recently he was an executive officer and senior vice president, discovery and development, with responsibility for all drug discovery and development through early clinical development to proof of concept in humans. Dr. Campbell was the senior vice president of chemical sciences at ActivX Biosciences from 2001 to 2003, where he directed the company’s internal drug discovery programs as well as the development of ActivX’s activity-based chemical probes. Dr. Campbell was director of discovery chemistry at Bayer Corporation where he directed the research efforts of the 41-scientist group discovering and optimizing drugs in the cancer, obesity, osteoporosis, and diabetes therapeutic areas. Dr. Campbell began his career at Affymax Research Institute, a combinatorial chemistry company that was creating novel technologies and strategies to facilitate the identification and optimization of compounds for the treatment of cancer and immune-mediated diseases.
Carmine Stengone
Mr. Stengone received his MBA from Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University. He also holds a M.S. degree in organic chemistry from Duke University and a B.S. in chemistry from Wake Forest University.
Afraxis is developing treatments for diseases of the central nervous system, such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, Fragile X syndrome and autism spectrum disorders. Recent scientific discoveries have linked these disorders to underlying defects in the development and function of specialized structures of the neural synapse, called dendritic spines. Afraxis is leveraging this discovery to develop drug treatments that control dendritic spine function. The company’s lead program targets PAK, a protein that regulates the development and activity of dendritic spines, creating therapies that actually modify the disease rather than just treat symptoms. Modifying the disease produces beneficial changes at the cellular and behavioral level, creating new hope for patients and their families and their caregivers. For more information visit the Afraxis Web site: www.afraxis.com.
Afraxis
