LOS ALTOS‚ Calif., May 21 /PRNewswire/ -- InteKrin Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of products for diabetes, metabolism and obesity today announced the appointment of Linda Slanec Higgins, Ph.D. to the position of Vice President, PreClinical Research and Development. Dr. Higgins will be a member of InteKrin's senior management team and will be responsible for the biology and early stage development of the Company's pipeline products.
"We are extremely pleased to have a scientist of Linda's caliber responsible for the biology of INT131 and our other product candidates," said Denny Lanfear, Founder and Chief Executive. "Her breadth of experience, expansive intellect and impressive track record qualify her well to assume InteKrin's senior scientific leadership position. Our standards are extremely high, and I am confident Linda will be an excellent fit with her peers on our Scientific Advisory Board."
"I am very pleased to be joining the team at InteKrin Therapeutics in the development of INT131," said Dr. Higgins. "This is a truly novel selective PPAR modulator, resulting from an extraordinary discovery and development effort. There is a continuum of consistent data from the molecular biology to the clinical experience which demonstrates high therapeutic potency without the undesirable activities of the marketed full agonists. Its biology thus holds great potential to help a large and growing patient population. This is a rare opportunity to participate in the development of a very promising therapeutic moiety."
Dr. Higgins joins InteKrin after more than 15 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Previously she was with Scios, Inc. where she was most recently Head of Research holding responsibility for drug discovery, preclinical development, and translational medicine. She has led multiple teams for programs in discovery through early clinical development focused on CNS, inflammatory, oncology, cardiovascular, hematology and fibrotic disorders which were advanced internally as well as in partnership with major pharmaceutical companies. During her tenure at Scios, it grew from a discovery organization, to a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company marketing a product discovered in house, to an operating company owned by Johnson & Johnson. Dr. Higgins has authored over 50 original peer reviewed scientific papers and invited reviews, and is inventor on over a dozen patents. She earned an AB in Behavioral Physiology with High Honors and Distinction from Kenyon College, Gambier Ohio; a Ph.D. in Neurosciences from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine; and postdoctoral training in Molecular Genetics at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of California, Berkeley.
About InteKrin Therapeutics
InteKrin Therapeutics, Inc. is a privately-held clinical stage biopharmaceutical company based in Los Altos, California developing therapeutics for diabetes, obesity and metabolic disorders. The company was founded in 2005 by Denny Lanfear, a former Vice President and Officer of Amgen, and clinical endocrinologist Christos Mantzoros, M.D., DSc, FACP, FACE, Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. InteKrin's Scientific Advisory Board includes veterans from several successful biopharma organizations, internationally recognized experts in nuclear receptors and metabolism as well as top scientists formerly with the Food and Drug Administration. Its lead product, INT131, is a novel SPPARM (Selective Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Modulator) which is in Phase II clinical trials for diabetes. The company focuses on high value therapeutics in addressing unmet medical needs. To learn more about InteKrin, visit http://www.InteKrin.com
InteKrin Therapeutics, Inc.CONTACT: Heather Zimmerman of InteKrin Therapeutics, Inc.,+1-650-941-5501, Heather@InteKrin.com
Web site: http://www.intekrin.com/
