TORONTO, March 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Bradmer Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of cancer therapies, today announced the appointment of Jean Bourgouin, M.D., as Vice President of Medical Affairs. Dr. Bourgouin has more than 25 years of clinical development and management experience in the pharmaceutical sector in Canada. Prior to joining Bradmer, Dr. Bourgouin spent eight years as the Vice President of Scientific Affairs at Aventis Pharma Canada (formerly Hoechst Marion Roussel). Dr. Bourgouin will operate out of the Company's new office in Montreal.
"Dr. Bourgouin brings a combination of technical experience, which includes work as a practicing physician, and knowledge of the pharmaceutical sector from his work with Aventis that will strengthen our management capabilities," said Dr. Alan Ezrin, Chief Operating Officer of Bradmer. "The addition of Dr. Bourgouin demonstrates our ability to attract talent and build a world class team dedicated to the commercialization of new therapies for cancer patients. Dr. Bourgouin will play a key role in the implementation of our Phase III pivotal trial of Neuradiab for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme."
As Vice President of Scientific Affairs at Aventis Pharma Canada, Dr. Bourgouin oversaw all stages of clinical development in Canada as well as registration and market access implementing health economics, health management and professional education strategies. Dr. Bourgouin also held senior management roles with Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Canada. A graduate of Universite de Montreal where he acquired a doctorate diploma in medicine, Dr. Bourgouin went on to become Associate Professor in the Pharmacology Department. Dr. Bourgouin received his B.A. from College Jean de Brebeuf, his M.Sc. in Pharmacology from Universite de Montreal, and is a licensed member of the Medical Council of Canada.
About Neuradiab
Neuradiab is a monoclonal antibody, conjugated to radioactive iodine, used to treat glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common and most advanced form of brain cancer. Neuradiab delivers tumor-killing radiation specifically to residual brain tumor cells after surgery, with minimal impact on normal brain tissue. During the course of development at Duke University, over US$60 million in research grants and related support has produced a series of Phase I and Phase II clinical trials on Neuradiab and closely related technologies. Approximately 200 brain cancer patients, including over 160 with GBM, have been treated with the Neuradiab therapy regimen, and survival benefits have significantly exceeded historical controls in each completed trial.
Each year up to 30,000 new cases of GBM are diagnosed in world's seven largest healthcare markets. The current standard of care for GBM patients is surgical resection followed by radiation and temozolomide. GBM tumors typically have infiltrating edges that are very difficult to completely remove with surgery. The Neuradiab therapy is delivered directly into the surgical resection cavity in a separate procedure after the initial surgery. Neuradiab delivers a concentrated level of radiation specifically to the remaining cancer cells by targeting tenascin. Tenascin is a protein over-expressed in 99% of GBM cells but absent from normal brain cells.
About Bradmer Pharmaceuticals Inc. (www.bradmerpharma.com)
Bradmer Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of new and innovative cancer therapies. Bradmer's lead clinical candidate, Neuradiab, was developed at Duke University Medical Center as a proprietary therapy for a particularly aggressive form of brain cancer, glioblastoma multiforme. To date, over US$60 million in grants and related support has driven research and development of the licensed treatment, which has been delivered to over 200 patients with promising results and has completed Phase II clinical trials at Duke University. Bradmer is currently in the process of organizing a Phase III pivotal clinical trial of the licensed treatment. Neuradiab has been granted Orphan Drug Status by both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency.
Bradmer Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s common shares have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") or any state regulatory agency in the United States. The resale or transfer by a U.S. investor of such common shares of Bradmer Pharmaceuticals Inc. is subject to the requirements of Rule 904 of Regulation S of the Securities Act or such other applicable exemption thereunder, and other applicable state securities laws.
Except for historical information, this press release may contain forward-looking statements, which reflect the Company's current expectation regarding future events. These forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainties, which may cause but are not limited to, changing market conditions, the successful and timely completion of clinical studies, the establishment of corporate alliances, the impact of competitive products and pricing, new product development, uncertainties related to the regulatory approval process and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's ongoing quarterly and annual reporting.
Bradmer Pharmaceuticals Inc.CONTACT: Bradmer Pharmaceuticals Inc., Mr. Brian Brohman, Chief FinancialOfficer, Phone: (416) 361-6058, E-mail: bbrohman@bradmerpharma.com,Internet: www.bradmerpharma.com; Investor Relations, Ross Marshall, TheEquicom Group Inc., Phone: (416) 815-0700 (Ext. 238), Fax: (416) 815-0080,E-mail: rmarshall@equicomgroup.com
