BALTIMORE, Dec. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Alba Therapeutics Corporation ("Alba"), today announced its upcoming clinical trials for AT-1001 and also announces the appointment of veteran biopharmaceutical industry professional Richard DiMarchi, PhD to serve on its Board of Directors. Dr. DiMarchi will be replacing Dr. Roger Newton on the Board of Directors, who resigned from the Board for personal reasons on October 14, 2005.
Dr. DiMarchi is Founder and Chairman of the Board of Ambrx Inc, a California biotechnology company and has served as a member of the Alba Scientific Advisory Board since 2004. He is also the Gill Professor of Chemistry at Indiana University. Previously, he was Group VP of Lilly Research Labs and was directly involved in the discovery and development of several Lilly drugs, including Humulin(R), Humatrope(R), Evista(R), Xigris(R), and Forteo(R) and was co-inventor of Humalog(R). "Dr. DiMarchi has a distinguished record of contributing to the development of innovation driven companies and their commercial and scientific successes, and we anticipate that his expanded stewardship will enhance our track record of success," said Dr. Blake Paterson, CEO of Alba. "We are grateful for Dr. Newton's support during Alba's inception and are privileged and delighted to now have Dr. DiMarchi onboard."
In related developments, "Alba intends to begin its proof-of-concept studies in celiac disease patients within the next few weeks, which trials will culminate in an end-of-Phase I meeting with the FDA sometime in 2006," stated Dr. Paterson. "Pending positive results, the Company is also considering the filing of an IND for Type 1 Diabetes beta cell rescue sometime in 2006."
About Zonulin
Zonulin is a signaling protein that transiently and reversibly opens the tight junctions ("tj") between the cells of epithelial and endothelial tissues such as the intestinal mucosa, blood brain barrier and pulmonary epithelia. Zonulin appears to be involved in many diseases in which leakage occurs via paracellular transport across epithelial and endothelial tight junctions (tj), and thus may play an important potential role in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
About Alba
Alba Therapeutics Corporation is a privately held biopharmaceutical company based in Baltimore, Maryland. Alba is dedicated to commercializing disease-modifying therapeutics and drug delivery adjuvants based on the zonulin pathway. Alba's lead molecule, AT-1001, is targeted towards the treatment of celiac disease and other auto-immune illnesses.
CONTACT: Dr. Blake Paterson of Alba Therapeutics, +1-410-522-8708
Alba Therapeutics CorporationCONTACT: Dr. Blake Paterson of Alba Therapeutics, +1-410-522-8708
Web site: http://www.albatherapeutics.com/
