TORONTO, Jan. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - GeneNews Limited (TSX: GEN - News), a company focused on developing blood-based biomarker tests for the early detection of diseases and personalized health management, today announced that Mr. Colin T. West has retired from the position of Chief Financial Officer, Vice President of Finance and Treasurer of GeneNews as of December 31, 2008. The Board of Directors has appointed Mr. Sonny Young CA to the role of Vice President of Finance and Treasurer, effective January 1, 2009. Mr. West will remain with the Company until March 31, 2009, to assist in the transition.
“Colin has been a valued member of the management team for the past two years. We thank him and wish him well in his retirement,” said Dr. Heiner Dreismann, Lead Director and Interim CEO of GeneNews. “Sonny has been working with GeneNews since April 2006 as a financial consultant. His breadth of experience in financial management makes him well-suited to take on the role of Vice President of Finance and Treasurer.”
GeneNews also announced that Mr. Gino Ariano has been appointed to the newly created role of Senior Director, Sentry Business Unit. Mr. Ariano is responsible for the sales and marketing of ColonSentry(TM) throughout Canada.
“Gino’s broad experience with the marketing and reimbursement of both medical device and pharmaceutical products will greatly support our efforts to establish and build our Sentry business in Canada, beginning with our lead product, ColonSentry” said Gailina Liew, COO of GeneNews. “We are pleased to welcome Gino to our management team.”
Mr. Ariano was at Medtronic Canada for more than 10 years, most recently as a National Sales Manager and, prior to that, Government Relations and Reimbursement Manager. Prior to his tenure at Medtronic, he spent nine years with Glaxo Canada (now GSK) with responsibility for a number of pharmaceutical products.
Mr.Young is the former Director of Corporate Compliance for OccuLogix. Prior to his role at OccuLogix, he was the Controller at Sanofi-Synthelabo and the Director of Financial Accounting at TLC Vision Corp.
About GeneNews
GeneNews is focused 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(TM), to detect and stage virtually any disease or medical condition from a simple blood sample. GeneNews is currently applying the Sentinel Principle(TM) in major areas with unmet clinical needs such as cancer, arthritis, cardiovascular disease and neurological disorders. For more information on GeneNews, visit www.genenews.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements, which reflect the Company’s current expectations regarding future events. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual events could differ materially from those projected herein. Investors should consult the Company’s ongoing quarterly filings and annual reports for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to these forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
