Paris, March 31th 2011- TcL Pharma (www.tcl-pharma.com), is a specialist biotech company dedicated to the development of new antibodies for the treatment of auto-immune diseases and certain problems encountered during transplantation procedures. The company has announced the appointment of Dr Didier Hoch to the Board of Directors and of Dr Jean-Hugues Masgnaux as Operations Director.
The appointments of Didier Hoch and of Jean-Hugues Masgnaux strengthen the team we have, and are a significant step forward for us at a time when we are preparing to enter into Phase I with our first immunomodulator the FR104, a section of the pegylated monoclonal antibody which demonstrates a very promising efficiency/tolerance profile for auto-immune diseases and transplantation », says Maryvonne Hiance, Head of the Board of Directors at TcLPharma.
“Didier Hoch’s experience in the pharmaceutical industry, particularly in the field of vaccines and biotechnology, as well as Jean Hugues Masgnaux’s know-how in the management of pharmaceutical companies in France and abroad will accelerate our development at a key time for the company as we take our first steps towards access the market and as we establish strategic relationships with industrial pharmaceutical partners”, commented Maryvonne Hiance, Head of the Board of Directors at TcLPharma.
Didier Hoch is a doctor with 25 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry and in vaccines. Between 2000 and 2010 he ran Sanofi Pasteur MSD (a European joint venture vaccine between Sanofi Aventis & Merck), a leading company in the vaccine market, where he led the launch of Gardasil. Prior to this, he carried out various management functions such as Product Manager, Marketing Director, Deputy General Manager and Vice-President Africa & Middle-East at Rhône Poulenc Rorer (1985-2000), then he joined from 2000 to 2010 Aventis (Europe, Middle-East/African regions). Didier was also President (2003/2009) of the European Vaccines Manufacturers Association EVM, and since 2006 has presided over the French Pharmaceutical Companies Association LEEM as well as the French Labour Union MEDEF’s Health & Life Sciences Committee since 2009.
I am pleased to be joining the TcL Pharma team to support them on the road to success. TcL Pharma is developing innovative projects for the treatment of serious diseases where medical needs are a long way from being met, which is a fundamental goal of the pharmaceutical industry », said Didier Hoch.
Jean-Hugues Masgnaux is a doctor and business school graduate with considerable marketing expertise in the domain of medical treatments, sales and development. He has worked in organisations of various sizes both in France and abroad on pharmaceutical and biotechnological business projects. Jean-Hugues began his career as an independent business development consultant at Innothera Laboratories & CNI, going on to become manager of Licences & Agreements at Servier Group and Product Manager for Fournier Group. Between 1996 and 2000 he progressed from the position of senior Product Manager to Regional Sales director and then Marketing Manager at Bayer Pharma. Between 2005 and 2005 he was Infectiology Marketing Manager for the France subsidiary of the Grünenthal group, then International Project Manager and Marketing Director for the French subsidiary. In 2005 he took on the role of President of Madaus Laboratories France, becoming President of the Rottapharm / Madaus Group. In July 2009, Jean-Hugues set up ‘M&M Conseil’ (M&M Consulting) and among other activities works as Health Expert for Capgemini Consulting.
I decided to direct my energies into TcL Pharma, firstly because I am convinced that TcL Pharma has an exceptional portfolio of products that could lead to some real breakthroughs in the treatment of some auto-immune diseases and transplantation problems. I also have great faith in the outstanding abilities of the men and women working with Maryvonne Hiance and especially those working with Jean-Paul Soulillou and Bernard Vanhove. With their input, the company will benefit from an exceptional partnership with the ITERT teams, who deliver a very high level of scientific knowledge and improved access to patients”, said Jean-Hugues Masgnaux, Operations Director of TcL Pharma.
About TcL Pharma
TcL Pharma is a specialist biotech company dedicated to the discovery and the development of drugs which regulate the immune system in organ & tissue transplantation and autoimmune disease.
TcL Pharma developed the first ever biotech drug with selective immunosuppressive activity. By blocking effector T lymphocytes but not regulatory T lymphocytes, this agent has the potential to restore the immune tolerance that is impaired in people suffering from certain autoimmune diseases and after organ or cell transplantation.
Based in Nantes (France), the company was a spin-off of the Institute for Transplantation; Urology and Nephrology (ITUN, Europe’s leading centre for kidney and combined kidney/pancreas transplantation). The firs monoclonal antibodies developed by TcL Pharma (FR104, MF280, MD797 and MP196) are based on novel approaches to immune system regulation. TcL Pharma is focusing on the development of drugs in the field of autoimmune disease and in organ and tissue transplantation. The company’s expertise encompasses every step in a drug’s development, including the identification of treatment targets of interest and drug discovery, proof of concept, pre-clinical trials and phase I clinical trials right through to the first human-based phase II clinical trials. For further information, please visit the website www.tcl-pharma.com
For further information:
TcL Pharma:
Maryvonne Hiance
President
TcL Pharma
Tel : 33 (0) 240 412 834
mhiance@tcl-pharma.com
ALIZE RP:
Caroline Carmagnol
Tel: 33 1 42 68 86 43
Mobile: 33 6 64 18 99 59
caroline@alizerp.com
Laurence Dutrey
Tel. : 33 1 42 68 86 40
Mobile: 06 31 13 76 20
laurence@alizerp.com
