VILLA GUARDIA (COMO), Italy, Dec. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Gentium S.p.A. today announced the appointment of Dr. Khalid Islam as Chairman of the Board of Directors, who will retain his responsibilities as Interim Chief Executive Officer.
"2010 is going to be a critical year for Gentium as we determine the next steps toward filing for regulatory approval for Defibrotide, our lead clinical candidate for which we recently announced clinical trial results for the treatment and prevention of Hepatic Veno-Occlusive Disease (VOD)," said Dr. Islam. "I am delighted to be working with a board which brings together an impressive skill-set and whose vision and experience will be crucial in this exciting phase in Gentium's development as we execute on our strategic and regulatory plans."
Veno-occlusive disease is a potentially life-threatening condition, which typically occurs as an important complication of stem cell transplantation. Certain high-dose chemo-radiation therapy regimens used as part of SCT can damage the lining cells of hepatic blood vessels and so result in VOD, a blockage of the small veins of the liver that leads to liver failure and can result in significant dysfunction in other organs such as the kidneys and lungs (so-called severe VOD). SCT is a frequently used treatment modality following high-dose chemotherapy and radiation therapy for hematologic cancers and other conditions in both adults and children. There is currently no approved agent for the treatment or prevention of VOD in the U.S. or the EU.
Gentium S.p.A., located in Como, Italy, is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and manufacture of drugs to treat and prevent a variety of diseases and conditions, including vascular diseases related to cancer and cancer treatments. Defibrotide, the Company's lead product candidate, is an investigational drug that has been granted Orphan Drug status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and EMEA to prevent and to treat VOD and Fast Track designation by the U.S. FDA for the treatment of severe VOD in recipients of stem cell transplants.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
CONTACT: Gary Gemignani, Chief Financial Officer, Gentium S.p.A.,
+1-212-332-1666, ggemignani@gentium.com, or Marcy Nanus, The Trout Group,
+1-646-378-2927, mnanus@troutgroup.com, or Luca Ricci Maccarini, Lifonti &
Company, +39-02-7788871, luca.maccarini@lifonti.it
Web site: http://www.gentium.com/
