Diffusion Pharmaceuticals Strengthens Management Team With Appointment Of Matthew W. Hantzmon As Vice President, Business Development
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Diffusion Pharmaceuticals LLC, a drug discovery and development company pioneering a revolutionary approach to treat life-threatening diseases, today announced that it has appointed Matthew W. Hantzmon to the new position of Vice President, Business Development. Mr. Hantzmon, a senior executive with a successful record in medical technology and renewable energy start-up companies, is now responsible for Diffusion Pharmaceuticals' strategic partnerships. This follows the company's recent announcement that it has completed a $1.5 million private funding round and completed all animal toxicology studies required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to file an investigational new drug (IND) application for its lead compound trans sodium crocetinate (TSC).
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061114/DCTU061 )
"Mr. Hantzmon has a tremendous combination of corporate management and business development experience that will enable us to expand our business development activities," said David G. Kalergis, Diffusion's Chief Executive Officer. "As an early investor and co-author of Diffusion's first business plan, he is very familiar with our platform technology and is committed to the rapid and efficient commercialization of our pipeline of novel small-molecule therapeutics."
Mr. Hantzmon comes to Diffusion from Greenlight Energy, Inc., an independent power producer focused on wind energy projects, where he worked from 2001 until 2006 when the company was sold to British Petroleum (BP) for $98 million. As Managing Director at Greenlight, Mr. Hantzmon was instrumental in the negotiations that led to the sale.
Before Greenlight Energy, he was a co-founder and President of GeNeuron Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company, which developed biologically- enhanced medical devices for the treatment of neurovascular diseases.
Previously, Mr. Hantzmon was Director of International Market Development for Varian Medical Systems. In this role, he was responsible for marketing, sales, and business development for all geographies outside North America. Prior to its acquisition by Varian in 1999, he had been Vice President and COO at Multimedia Medical Systems, Inc., a biotechnology company focusing on radiation treatment planning systems. Other roles as a founding member of MMS included Secretary, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer. In his early career, he was a Senior Financial Analyst for IBM and a Management Consultant for Price Waterhouse, LLC.
He is a founder and board member of Columbia Power Technologies, a development stage company focused on conversion of wave energy into electricity. Mr. Hantzmon holds a B.A. degree from the University of Virginia and an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. He is also a Certified Management Accountant.
About Diffusion Pharmaceuticals LLC
Diffusion Pharmaceuticals LLC is a drug discovery and development company that owns a platform technology of patented small molecule therapeutics that enhance the diffusion of oxygen to hypoxic (oxygen-starved) tissues. By applying a revolutionary approach to increase oxygen diffusion into tissue cells, Diffusion's lead molecule trans sodium crocetinate (TSC) and other proprietary pipeline molecules could be used to treat life-threatening conditions, such as trauma, stroke, cardiovascular, respiratory, and other conditions characterized by oxygen deprivation at the cellular level. The company's pipeline drugs, known as trans bipolar carotenoid or TBC molecules, are currently in the preclinical stage. Clinical trials are planned to support the use of TSC in ischemic indications. Diffusion Pharmaceuticals, which is privately held, is located in Charlottesville, Virginia. For more information, visit http://www.diffusionpharma.com.
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061114/DCTU061AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.orgPRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.comDiffusion Pharmaceuticals LLCCONTACT: Tracey Linkous, Director of Communications of DiffusionPharmaceuticals LLC, +1-434-220-0718, tlinkous@diffusionpharma.com
Web site: http://www.diffusionpharma.com/