DENVER, March 7 /PRNewswire/ -- ARCA Discovery Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company developing genetically targeted therapies for heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases, today announced the addition of J. William Freytag, Ph.D., to its Board of Directors.
Dr. Freytag brings over 25 years of research, product development and commercialization experience to the Board, most recently as Chairman and CEO of Myogen where he built a focused cardiovascular biotechnology company with preclinical, clinical and sales and marketing capabilities.
"We welcome Dr. Freytag at this important time as we work to file a new drug application to the FDA for our lead product bucindolol, which could become the first personalized cardiovascular medicine ever commercialized," said Richard B. Brewer, President and CEO of ARCA Discovery.
The addition of Dr. Freytag to ARCA's board re-unites him with Dr. Michael Bristow, Chairman and Chief Science and Medical Officer of ARCA and the founder of both Myogen and ARCA.
"Bill Freytag is a true leader, innovator and visionary who has the wisdom and judgment to help guide ARCA Discovery into a preeminent position in developing pharmacogenetically targeted therapies for cardiovascular and other diseases," added Dr. Bristow.
Dr. Freytag currently serves as a Senior Advisor to Gilead as a result of the acquisition of Myogen by Gilead in November 2006. Prior to Myogen, Dr. Freytag was a Senior Vice President at Somatogen, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, where he led corporate and commercial development from 1994 to 1998. Before that, he served as President of Research and Development at Boehringer Mannheim Corporation, an international healthcare company and spent over a decade with DuPont in various research and business management positions.
He is a Director of Immunicon Corporation and a member of the Executive Board for the Colorado Biotechnology Association. Dr. Freytag received a B.S. from Purdue University, a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Kansas Medical Center and completed a post doctoral fellowship at Duke University.
About ARCA Discovery, Inc.
ARCA Discovery, Inc. is a privately held biopharmaceutical company developing genetically-targeted therapies for heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases. The Company closed a $15 million Series A financing in February, 2006 led by Atlas Venture, Boulder Ventures and Pequot Capital Management. The Company's first product is bucindolol, a third-generation beta-blocker-vasodilator for advanced heart failure and other indications, that promises to be the first genetically targeted cardiovascular drug. Bucindolol has extensive Phase III data and a unique Phase 3 DNA sub-study. Using this sub-study, ARCA's founding scientists have confirmed genetic polymorphisms that interact with bucindolol's unique pharmacology to modify patient response. ARCA is preparing an NDA for bucindolol and intends to seek FDA approval of bucindolol during 2007.
ARCA Discovery Inc.CONTACT: E. Blair Schoeb of WeissComm Partners, +1-760-365-1857, orblair@weisscommpartners.com, for ARCA Discovery, Inc.
