San Diego, CA, February 2, 2012 – Leading BioSciences, parent company of InflammaGen™ Therapeutics, announced today that Stephen F. Flaim, Ph.D., has been appointed to Chairman of the Board. InflammaGen Therapeutics is a development-stage, critical care company initially focused on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of Multiple Organ Failure (MOF).
A 40-year pharmaceutical industry veteran, Dr. Flaim has a diverse background in drug discovery, pharmacology and biochemistry with a track record of successfully carrying multiple pharmaceutical products from discovery through clinical development to commercial availability.
“We are delighted Dr. Flaim is joining Leading BioSciences as Chairman of the Board,” said John Rodenrys, CEO of InflammaGen Therapeutics. “Dr. Flaim will be a tremendous asset, particularly to InflammaGen, as we move forward with developing AnaZyme and InflammGen Shok-Pak as the first-ever diagnostic-therapeutic for MOF. His experience in bringing pharmaceutical products from ‘bench to bedside’ will be instrumental as we commence the Phase 2 pilot study of InflammaGen Shok-Pak and achieve additional development milestones for our MOF technology platform.”
Dr. Flaim currently serves as principal of Flaim Partners Consulting in San Diego, California. Prior to his position at Flaim Partners Consulting, Dr. Flaim held multiple senior executive positions supervising the discovery and development of various pharmaceutical products, including several targeting anti-inflammatory indications. Dr. Flaim’s career is highlighted by his work as Senior Vice President and Vice President of Research and Development at Galileo Laboratories, Inc, Vice President of Biological Research and Development at Trega Biosciences, Inc., and Vice President of Biological Sciences at Alliance Pharmaceutical Corp.
Dr. Flaim remarked, “Leading BioSciences has numerous high value innovations in its portfolio, none more so than the InflammaGen’s Shok-Pak and AnaZyme technology platform. InflammaGen’s focus on treating MOF by targeting digestive enzymes is very unique and could provide a major breakthrough in treating this highly prevalent and extremely serious condition.”
Throughout his career, Dr. Flaim’s research has been published in more than 90 peer-reviewed journals and more than 20 books. He has received numerous awards and honors for his work, including Advocate of the Year Award from the American Heart Association’s Greater San Diego Division.
Dr. Flaim has also taught at multiple universities and medical colleges across the nation.
Dr. Flaim is a graduate of the University of Santa Clara with a B.S. in Biology. He earned his Ph.D. in Human Physiology from the University of California at Davis.
“InflammaGen Therapeutics has been able to grow its business rapidly from the initial research and development to the beginning of the Phase 2 pilot study,” said Hank Loy, president of InflammaGen Therapeutics. “There are currently no therapies to treat sepsis and MOF, allowing InflammaGen the opportunity to meet a largely unmet critical therapeutic need.”
About InflammaGen™ Therapeutics
InflammaGen Therapeutics is a development-stage, critical care company initially focused on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of Multiple Organ Failure (MOF), a condition with a high mortality rate and very few therapeutic options. The Company’s lead technology is InflammaGen Shok-Pak, a drug/delivery platform designed to prevent the onset of shock and MOF via the direct administration of an enzyme inhibitor into the stomach and lumen of the intestine. InflammaGen Shok-Pak was developed based on research from the University of California San Diego, which demonstrated that under conditions of shock, digestive enzymes permeate the wall of the intestine and enter the bloodstream, leading to multi-organ failure and death. Complementing InflammaGen Shok-Pak, the Company has also developed a diagnostic assay, AnaZyme, that uses either breath or blood samples to measure the presence and severity of inflammatory activity due to shock, and InflammaGen Lavage, a therapeutic for use in open wounds and areas of infection. InflammaGen Therapeutics is a Leading Biosciences’ company. For additional information on Leading Biosciences, please visit http://leadingbiosciences.com/. For additional information on InflammaGen Therapeutics or its MOF treatment platform, please visit http://igenrx.com/.
