Cambridge, MA – May 14, 2007 – Biogen Idec Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) announced today that Lewis J. Klunk, Ph.D. has been named Vice President, Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics (DMPK). Based in Cambridge, Dr. Klunk will be responsible for developing and managing all phases of pharmacokinetic and metabolism studies for products submitted to regulatory authorities by Biogen Idec.
“Our DMPK department supports Biogen Idec’s worldwide preclinical and clinical development activities, and Lew will play a crucial role in that process,” said Jim Green, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Preclinical and Clinical Development Sciences at Biogen Idec. “His extensive experience in drug discovery and development will be instrumental as we evaluate our internal research and development candidates and perform technical due-diligence on licensing opportunities.”
Dr. Klunk joined Biogen Idec in 2005, and was appointed to the position of Distinguished Investigator, Preclinical and Clinical Development Sciences in 2006, serving as liaison to business development groups and maintaining a strong industry, academic and regulatory agency network.
Prior to joining Biogen Idec, Dr. Klunk was at Bristol Myers Squibb where he served successively as Executive Director of Discovery DMPK, Biotransformation, and finally Bioanalytical Sciences. During his initial tenure at BMS, he created a new department to help optimize properties of new drug candidates before they entered development, in order to help maximize their chances for clinical success. Previously, Dr. Klunk worked with Revlon Health Care Group designing and performing metabolism and pharmacokinetic studies on new drugs in the cardiovascular and hypersensitivity therapeutic areas.
Dr. Klunk was elected by industry peers to serve on the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association of America’s (PhRMA) Drug Metabolism Technical Committee from 1998 until 2006. His most notable professional accomplishments include helping to pioneer the field of optimizing DMPK properties of molecules during the discovery process to facilitate their clinical development, and serving on a PhRMA committee that helped to formulate industry positions with respect to metabolic and pharmacokinetic issues important to the industry and regulatory agencies.
Dr. Klunk received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from Thomas Jefferson University in 1976, a master’s in biochemistry from The Medical College of Pennsylvania 1969, and a bachelor’s in chemistry from Southern Connecticut State University in 1967.
About Biogen Idec
Biogen Idec creates new standards of care in therapeutic areas with high unmet medical needs. Founded in 1978, Biogen Idec is a global leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of innovative therapies. Patients in more than 90 countries benefit from Biogen Idec’s significant products that address diseases such as lymphoma, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. For product labeling, press releases and additional information about the company, please visit www.biogenidec.com.
