LAS VEGAS, Oct. 14, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GrowBLOX Sciences, Inc., “GB Sciences” (OTCQB:GBLX), a cannabinoid therapy research and development firm, has released the names of five doctors joining its scientific advisory board. Chaired by GB Sciences’ Chief Science Officer Andrea Small-Howard, PhD, MBA, new board members include: John Abroon, MD; Alfredo L. Axtmayer, MD; Daniel Chueh, MD; Tony Ortiz, PhD; and Helen Turner, PhD.
“We are very proud to welcome these distinguished doctors to our scientific advisory board,” said Dr. Small-Howard. “GB Sciences will certainly benefit from the objective, external perspective and quality authentication this team brings to the table.”
GB Sciences’ scientific advisory board is a conduit for the exchange of cutting-edge ideas in the emerging cannabinoid-based-medicine market. Members engage in collaboration and data sharing, discuss non-confidential information about competitive programs, and debate how GB Sciences’ efforts compare to others in the industry.
The five members announced today will endow GB Sciences with a level of scientific knowledge and ability to discover new treatments that is unsurpassed in the medical cannabis field. They include doctors who are actively engaged in preclinical cannabinoid research and clinical trials on a number of diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, bipolar disorder, and depression. Others are practicing doctors focused on preventive medicine, pain management, and neurological disorders.
GB Sciences’ scientific advisory board works closely with executive leadership on setting the company’s strategic scientific research and development initiatives, including preclinical cannabinoid research, human clinical trial protocols, and publication of a series of educational whitepapers that describe the significance of GB Sciences’ research and development efforts.
Andrea Small-Howard, PhD, MBA
Dr. Andrea Small-Howard’s goal is to create and maintain a novel cannabinoid therapy pipeline based on GB Sciences’ proprietary technology suite, as well as the talents of internal team members and the scientific advisory board. Dr. Small-Howard leverages broad biopharmaceutical industry knowledge and contacts in her current dual roles as the Chief Science Officer and member of the Board of Directors at GB Sciences, Inc. Her relevant experience includes Director of Research and Development at AMDL, Inc. and Vice President of Scientific Oversight at Radient Pharmaceuticals Corporation, where she provided strategic oversight for global product development in multiple international business divisions. In 2011, Dr. Small-Howard founded International Biotechnology Solutions to provide biotechnology management consulting. Currently, she also serves on the Board of Directors for the Center for Healthcare Innovation based in Chicago, Illinois.
Dr. Small-Howard received her AB from Occidental College (Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa), in addition to receiving both an MBA (Beta Gamma Sigma) and a PhD (USC AllUniversity Merit Fellow) in biological sciences from the University of Southern California. As a post-doctoral fellow at the Queens Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, Dr. Small-Howard lead a project group dedicated to the study of cannabinoids in the immune system and published peer reviewed papers on the subject.
Dr. Helen Turner
Dr. Helen Turner will be instrumental in developing preclinical trials of GB Sciences’ proprietary cannabinoid therapies and CME-accredited educational programs for physicians and GB Sciences’ dispensary staff. Dr. Turner is Dean of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and a tenured biology Professor at Chaminade University. She is a respected immunologist and holds affiliate professorship and graduate faculty appointments at the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii. She received her PhD in 1998 from the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, University College London, and was a Wellcome Trust International Prize post-doctoral fellow at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School from 1998 to 2000. From 2000 to 2007 she was Associate Director of Research at the Queen’s Medical Center in Hawaii, receiving her first major NIH research grant within four years of her PhD. Dr. Turner has published several peer-reviewed research papers on cannabinoids, including CB1 and CB2 in the immune system and the ionotropic cannabinoid receptors TRPV1 and TRPA1.
Tony Ortiz, PhD
Dr. Tony Ortiz will spearhead development of human clinical trial protocols and provide regulatory guidance through the FDA process. As founder and CEO of NRC Research Institute, Dr. Ortiz oversees the day-to-day clinical research operation, including a Phase I in-patient unit. NRC Research Institute has been involved in the FDA approval of various investigational products that are now available in the marketplace. Dr. Ortiz has consulted with various global pharmaceutical companies, such as AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk, and Eli Lilly, on their clinical research programs and regulatory filings, including IND preparations and submissions. He received his BA in psychology from the University of California, Irvine (UCI). He received his PhD in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology.
Daniel Chueh, MD
Dr. Daniel Chueh will supervise GB Sciences human clinical trials and formulate physician treatment protocols for GB Sciences’ cannabinoid therapies. Dr. Chueh is the founder and Clinical Global Leader for NRC Research Institute. NRC Research Institute is an internationally recognized, dedicated clinical research center and contract research organization (CRO) for the development of investigational products. Dr. Chueh has been the Principal Investigator for over 200 clinical trials in various indications, including but not limited to Alzheimer’s disease, bipolar disorder, Parkinson’s disease, and schizophrenia. He received a BA in political science from Yale University. He received his MD from the School of Medicine at the State University of New York at Buffalo.
John Abroon, MD
Dr. John Abroon will help GB Sciences validate its cannabinoid treatment protocols. Dr. Abroon is a board-certified general practitioner who specializes in diagnostic and preventive medicine and wellness care. In his practice, he incorporates alternative therapies and good old-fashioned home remedies into cutting-edge medical practices. In addition, he has published a number of research articles on liver cirrhosis in The American Journal of Gastroenterology and the Journal of Hepatology. He maintains affiliations with Mount Sinai and Lenox Hill hospitals in Manhattan. He received his medical degree from Universidad CIFAS. His first year of residency was completed at Cabrini Hospital in New York City and his last two years of residency were finished at Westchester County Medical Center.
Alfredo L. Axtmayer, MD
Dr. Alfredo L. Axtmayer will assist GB Sciences in its efforts to create clinical treatment protocols using cannabinoid therapies for the treatment of multiple medical conditions, including pain management. He is a Clinical Instructor in Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at Yale University School of Medicine, as well as an Assistant Clinical Professor in its Dept of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation. He is also an Associate Professor at the MidState Medical Center Campus Department of Surgery. He has authored instructional course lectures on the management and diagnosis of prosthetic joint infections, hip fractures, carpal tunnel syndrome, and medial knee osteoarthritis, and he has written academy guidelines on the management of knee osteoarthritis, low back pain, hip fractures, and rotator cuff disorders. He received his BA from Yale and his MD from Yale University School of Medicine.
To learn more about GB Sciences, Inc., go to www.gbsciences.com.
About GrowBLOX Sciences, Inc.
GrowBLOX Sciences, Inc., “GB Sciences” (OTCQB:GBLX)—is a biotechnology research and development company focused on creating safe, standardized pharmaceutical-grade cannabis-based therapies that target a variety of medical conditions. The company is pioneering technology, industry-leading processes, and a big data-driven clinical research and development algorithm to bring relief to patients in communities across the country.
Forward-Looking Statements
Except for historical information contained herein, the statements in this release are forward-looking and made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are inherently unreliable and actual results may differ materially. Examples of forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the payment of dividends, marketing and distribution plans, development activities and anticipated operating results. Factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include such factors as the Company’s ability to accomplish its business initiatives, significant fluctuations in marketing expenses and ability to achieve and expand significant levels of revenues, or recognize net income, from the sale of its products and services, as well as the introduction of competing products, or management’s ability to attract and maintain qualified personnel necessary for the development and commercialization of its planned products, and other information that may be detailed from time to time in the Company’s filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
CONTACT: Media and Investor Relations Contact: Stephen Hart Hayden IR hart@haydenir.com 917-658-7878 Help employers find you! Check out all the jobs and post your resume.
