WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, May 21, 2007 - Histogenics Corporation, a tissue regeneration company developing the NeoCart® neocartilage implant and other treatments for long-lasting joint repair, has announced the appointment of Steven B. Bernitz as President and Chief Executive Officer.
“Steve’s success in both tissue regeneration and biotechnology makes him an ideal CEO for Histogenics,” said Laurence Berlowitz Tarrant, Ph.D., Histogenics Chairman, Chief Scientific Officer and Founder. “We are confident he will help the company grow into an industry leader in joint repair. He brings us valuable leadership, business expertise and product development skills as we advance our products through clinical trials and towards commercialization.”
Mr. Bernitz was most recently Senior Vice President, Business and Commercial Development at Coley Pharmaceutical Group, where he led Coley’s $515 million licensing deal with Pfizer. Prior to Coley, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Organogenesis Inc., where he led a restructuring of the company and its partnership with Novartis. Earlier at Organogenesis he headed business development, and then founded and led a biosurgical implant business unit. Mr. Bernitz has held senior positions in business development, alliance management and product development with Dyax Corp. and Merck & Co. He has also been a consultant with McKinsey & Company.
Mr. Bernitz received his B.S. summa cum laude from Tufts University where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and an M.B.A. from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.
About Histogenics Histogenics develops and manufactures products that improve the body’s ability to regenerate healthy cartilage, improve joint function and prevent degenerative disease. Formed in 2000, the company takes an interdisciplinary approach to engineering neocartilage that looks, acts, and lasts like hyaline cartilage. It is developing new treatments for sports injuries and other orthopedic conditions, where demand is growing for long-term alternatives to joint replacement. Histogenics has successfully completed Phase I clinical trials, and begun Phase II trials in which the NeoCart® implant’s effectiveness is compared to that of standard microfracture surgery. Trials for the VeriCart(TM) matrix are planned to begin in late 2007. Based in Waltham, Massachusetts, the company is privately held. Major investors include Boston Millennia Partners, Foundation Medical Partners, Takagi Sangyo and Stryker Corporation. For more information, visit http://www.histogenics.com
