ATLANTA, June 22, 2011 - NeurOp Corporation today announced that Robert R. Bonczek has been elected to the company’s board of directors. He is president, CFO and general counsel at b3bio, Inc., a biotechnology company, and founding partner and president of AspenTree Capital, a boutique investment company.
“Bob brings to our board expert-level knowledge of the financial and legal matters facing an early-stage biotechnology company,” said James McNamara, M.D., NeurOp’s chairman. “He joins us as our programs for depression and ischemia are rapidly progressing and as we expand our research programs for treating traumatic brain injury and schizophrenia. His experience will be an asset as we secure additional funding and evaluate licensing opportunities.”
Bonczek’s past experience includes being CFO and general counsel at Trimeris, Inc., where he helped the biotechnology company through an IPO, secondary equity offerings, additional private placements, and a major collaboration agreement with Roche, as well as other collaborations. He has also served as a full-time legal consultant to Wilmer Hale and worked with Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette in their merchant banking area. Prior to that, Bonczek held various executive-level roles, including chief counsel and worldwide director of safety, health and environmental affairs, at DuPont/Conoco. He serves on a number of boards including b3 bio, AspenTree Capital, ELS Services, and K2 Pure; he is also on the advisory boards of Caxton Advantage Healthcare Fund and Centre Partners. He earned degrees in chemistry and law from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
About NeurOp
NeurOp, Inc. is an Atlanta-based biopharmaceutical company developing new medicines for central nervous system disorders, including depression, neuropathic pain, ischemia (stroke), schizophrenia, and Parkinson’s disease. Its compounds target the NMDA receptor found on neurons in a manner designed to enhance therapeutic benefit without the negative side effects associated with previous generations of this and other drug classes. A research collaboration and licensing agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) currently funds and supports the development of NeurOp’s proprietary compounds for the treatment of depression and neuropathic pain. The company’s scientific platform and collaboration have also been recognized by the scientific community. In 2010, NeurOp collected awards for Start-Up Company of the Year at the Celebration of Technology & Innovation, sponsored by Emory University’s Office of Technology Transfer, and Deal of the Year for a Strategic Partnership from Georgia Bio. For more information, please visit www.neuropinc.com.
NeurOp Contact:
Barney Koszalka, CEO
Phone: 404.941.2350
