SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., June 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Cerimon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced today the appointment of James H. Welch to the position of Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Welch will be responsible for financial and legal divisions and will manage relationships with investors and the broader financial community. He will report directly to Cerimon’s President and CEO Paul Sekhri.
Mr. Welch brings over two decades’ experience in financial management of life science and technology firms. Most recently, he held senior financial management positions at Rigel Pharmaceuticals, including Chief Financial Officer and Vice President, Finance & Corporate Services. During Mr. Welch’s tenure at Rigel, he completed several financing vehicles, including the company’s IPO in late 2000. Prior to Rigel, Mr. Welch was Chief Financial Officer of Biocircuits Corporation, and he held financial management positions at technology firms, NeXT Computer and Avantek.
Paul Sekhri, President and CEO of Cerimon Pharmaceuticals, commented, “We are excited to welcome Jim Welch into our executive management team. His reputation and track record in private and public financings in the life sciences sector are tremendous assets for us, particularly as we expand our business.”
About Cerimon Pharmaceuticals
Cerimon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to bringing innovative therapeutics to patients with substantial, unmet medical needs. Headquartered in South San Francisco, Cerimon is engaged in the development and commercialization of therapeutic products for the specialist physician markets in autoimmune disease, inflammation, and pain. The Company employs a novel corporate strategy of in-licensing late-stage or marketed drugs to reduce the development and regulatory risk, decrease time to market, and expand the commercial potential of known drugs.
Cerimon’s lead products are Simulect(R) (basiliximab), a monoclonal antibody, which is being advanced towards Phase 2b studies for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, and diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti- inflammatory drug (NSAID), which is in development for the treatment of mild to moderate chronic pain due to arthritis. In October 2005, Cerimon completed a Series A financing of $70M with MPM Capital, Nomura Phase4 Ventures, and OrbiMed Advisors.
For more information on Cerimon, please visit the Company’s Website at http://www.cerimon.com/.
Cerimon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
CONTACT: James Welch, Chief Financial Officer of Cerimon Pharmaceuticals,Inc., +1-650-827-4075; or Justin Jackson, +1-212-213-0006,jjackson@burnsmc.com, or Jason Farber, +1-212-213-0006,jfarber@burnsmc.com, both of Burns McClellan, both for CerimonPharmaceuticals, Inc.
Web site: http://www.cerimon.com/
