Paris, France ,19 February 2009 – DBV Technologies (DBV), a biopharmaceutical company specialising in the development of non-invasive epicutaneous diagnostics and immunotherapies for allergies, announced today that it has expanded its Board of Directors with the appointment of Peter Barton Hutt as Non-Executive Director.
Hutt brings extensive knowledge and first-hand experience of US food and drug legislation to DBV. He is currently a senior counsel in the Washington DC law firm of Covington & Burling LLP, specialising in Food and Drug Law, and teaching a full course on Food and Drug Law at Harvard Law School each year. He has been a member of the US Institute of Medicine since its establishment in 1971 and was formerly Chief Counsel for the US Food and Drug Administration.
This board appointment is of strategic importance as DBV works towards a Phase I study for peanut allergy desensitization in the US. Commenting on Mr. Hutt’s appointment, Jean-François Biry, Chairman and CEO of DBV, said, “We are delighted that we have been able to attract such a high calibre member to our board who will be integral in supporting DBV Technologies’ visibility in the US.”
About DBV Technologies - www.dbv-technologies.com
DBV Technologies, based in Paris, France is a speciality pharma company specialising in the development of non-invasive epicutaneous diagnostics and immunotherapies for allergy diagnosis and treatment. The Company is lead by CEO Jean-François Biry and was born out of the experience of Doctor Pierre-Henri Benhamou, a paediatrician specialising in gastro-enterology, allergosis and nutrition, and Bertrand Dupont, a qualified engineer from the Arts et Métiers Institute. DBV’s lead product, Diallertest® Milk, is on sale in France and other countries for the diagnosis of cow’s milk protein allergy.
DBV recently closed a €6million (EUR) Series B investment with new investor ALK-Abello, a leading worldwide immunotherapy company, and returning investor Sofinnova Partners.
Founded in 2002, DBV Technologies is based in the Pépinière Paris Santé Cochin, in Paris’ 14th arrondissement.
About VIASKIN®
DBV Technologies’ globally patented VIASKIN® technology is a unique delivery system which retains active compounds on a carrier using electrostatic forces only. The delivery platform allows active compounds to be presented to the epidermis of the skin without breaking the blood-skin barrier. In not breaking the blood-skin barrier, DBV Technologies’ allergen diagnosis and specific immunotherapy treatments avoid inducing systemic shock – one of the most serious concerns associated with current desensitisation therapies. DBV’s VIASKIN® technology is in development for the treatment of allergies through Epicutaneous Specific Immunotherapy (EPIT) and for the administration of vaccines. The company is currently seeking partnerships in these areas. DBV’s lead product, Diallertest® Milk, utilises VIASKIN® technology and is on sale in France and other countries for the diagnosis of cow’s milk protein allergy.
To view a video of VIASKIN presenting active compounds to the skin without breaking the blood-skin barrier, please click on the link http://www.dbv-technologies.com/viaskin-technology/about.htm
About Diallertest® Milk
DBV’s lead product, Diallertest® Milk, is on sale in France and other countries for the diagnosis of cow’s milk protein allergy. DBV Technologies licensed its Diallertest® range to international baby food and clinical nutrition specialist Numico (part of DANONE). Diallertest® Milk represents a revolution for paediatrics and was awarded an International prize for Technological Innovation by the Altran foundation in 2003.
Facts about peanut allergy
Peanut allergy is one of the most severe food allergy.In the US more than 6 million people suffer from peanuts allergy. This disease can be life threatening when inducing a systemic shock in case of accidental ingestion of peanuts by severely IgE mediated patients.
