TORONTO, Dec. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - ChondroGene Limited announced today that Dr. Daniel H. Farkas has joined the Company as VP, Clinical Diagnostics. Dr. Farkas will work to identify applications for the Company’s Sentinel Principle, develop clinical and commercial opportunities for the Company’s products and assist in the Company’s regulatory strategy development and implementation.
Most recently, Dr. Farkas was Director of Molecular Pathology at The Methodist Hospital (TMH) in Houston where he established his third hospital-based molecular diagnostics service laboratory. During his time at TMH, Dr. Farkas was Associate Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Weill Medical College of Cornell University (2005) and Baylor College of Medicine (2002-2004). Prior to that, Dr. Farkas was Director of Clinical Diagnostics at Clinical Micro Sensors, an advanced molecular diagnostic platform company that was acquired by Motorola in 2000. Dr. Farkas also established molecular diagnostic laboratories at William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan and Saint Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston, New Jersey.
“I have devoted my career to molecular diagnostics and have watched it mature into a mainstay of clinical testing for infectious diseases. Recent advances in genomics will allow molecular diagnostics to realize its full potential by applying its power to oncology, cardiovascular disease, pharmacogenomics and more,” commented Dr. Farkas. “ChondroGene is poised to enable a new revolution in molecular diagnostics. I am clearly excited to join ChondroGene and to help make the promise of the Sentinel Principle and molecular diagnostics a reality.”
Dr. Farkas has published widely in molecular diagnostics and, as a recognized expert, has lectured internationally on the subject for 16 years. He has been active in many industry associations, including the American Association for Clinical Chemistry, the College of American Pathologists, and the Association for Molecular Pathology, of which he was President in 2003. Dr. Farkas serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Biotechnology Healthcare, Diagnostic Molecular Pathology, and Molecular Diagnosis. He is also a fellow of the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry.
Dr. Farkas was a member of the FDA Clinical Molecular Genetics Advisory panel from 2000 to 2005 and was the first person to be certified by the American Board of Bioanalysis (ABB) in Molecular Diagnostics and holds the credentials of High Complexity Clinical Laboratory Director and Clinical Consultant from ABB.
Dr. Farkas earned a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the State University of New York at Buffalo after doing undergraduate work at Michigan State University.
“We are extremely pleased to welcome Dan as a key member of our team. He brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the field of clinical molecular diagnostics to ChondroGene. His input, experience and guidance will have a major impact in driving the process to move our molecular diagnostic tests from the lab to the commercial market,” stated K. Wayne Marshall, MD, PhD, President and CEO of ChondroGene.
About ChondroGene
-----------------
ChondroGene is focussed on the application of functional genomics to enable early diagnosis and personalized therapeutic intervention based on disease-specific biomarkers. The Company has developed a novel approach, the Sentinel Principle, to detect and stage virtually any disease or medical condition from a simple blood sample. ChondroGene is currently applying the Sentinel Principle in major areas with unmet clinical needs such as cancer, arthritis, cardiovascular disease and neurological disorders. For more information on ChondroGene, visit www.chondrogene.com.
The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept
responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
ChondroGene Limited
CONTACT: Dr. K. Wayne Marshall, President & CEO, (416) 650-0060 x234,wmarshall@chondrogene.com; Bruno Maruzzo, Corporate Development, (416)650-0060 x237, bmaruzzo@chondrogene.com
