SAINT-LAURENT, CANADA--(Marketwired - Feb 4, 2016) - IntelGenx Corp., (TSX VENTURE:IGX)(IGXT), today announced that it has further strengthened its organization with the creation of a Scientific Advisory Board with the engagement of Dr. Ludwig Aigner and Dr. Barry Greenberg. Dr. Horst G. Zerbe will act as the Chairman and Ms. Nadine Paiement (Vice President, Research and Development) will serve as Vice-Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board.
“We are honoured to have two distinguished neuroscientists join IntelGenx’ new scientific advisory board,” said Dr. Horst G. Zerbe, President and CEO of IntelGenx. “We are enlisting these noted experts to assist with pipeline targeting, including the identification of innovative projects with the focus of maximizing the value of our drug delivery technologies in drug repurposing.”
Dr. Ludwig Aigner
Dr. Aigner is a neuroscientist that has made major contributions in the field of brain and spinal cord regeneration over the last 25 years. He received his Ph.D at the University of Basel, Switzerland, where he was the first to demonstrate that nerve fibre growth can be re-induced in the adult central nervous system through the expression of a certain protein. He moved on to Montreal, Canada, where he did a three year postdoctoral work in the laboratory of Albert Aguayo, demonstrating that a viral gene transfer of a neurotrophic factor was able to rescue damaged neurons in the retina. After that, he moved to the University of Regensburg, Germany, exploring the fascinating issue of adult neural stem cells with the possibility to generate new neurons in the adult, aged, and diseased brain. He was the first to develop tools to visualize neurogenesis in living animals and identified signaling mechanisms that are crucially involved in limiting brain regeneration. One of these mechanisms, leukotriene signaling, is related to asthma. In consequence, Dr. Aigner and his team recently demonstrated that the anti-asthmatic drug Montelukast structurally and functionally rejuvenates the aged brain. His main aim is to develop molecular and cellular therapies for patients with neurodegenerative diseases and for the aged population. Dr. Aigner is currently Professor and Head of the Institute of Molecular Regenerative Medicine at the Paracelsus Medical University in Salzburg, Austria. He is President of the Austrian Neuroscience Association and scientific board member of the Wings For Life spinal cord injury foundation. He has authored or co-authored more than 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals.
Dr. Aigner has been invited to make a special presentation at the Corporation’s Annual General Meeting of Shareholders and the opening ceremony of the new manufacturing and laboratories, May 10, 2016. His presentation will be focused on: “Rejuvenation of the Aged Brain - An Example of Drug Delivery in Drug Repurposing.”
Dr. Barry Greenberg
Dr. Greenberg has been involved in Alzheimer’s disease research and Drug Discovery since 1985. He has held a series of positions internationally in the US, Sweden and Canada within the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Dr. Greenberg was the leader of a Drug Discovery project at AstraZeneca through lead optimization, involving up to 50 individuals from eight departments. Before joining Toronto’s United Health Network (UHN) as Director, Neuroscience Drug Discovery and Development, he was Senior Director of Pharmacology at Neurochem, responsible for the preclinical biology research program and a contributor to the analyses of the Phase III Alzhemed trial. At UHN, he is also co-directing the Toronto Dementia Research Alliance (TDRA) as Director of Strategy, a consortium involving academic research and the five memory clinics at hospitals affiliated with the University of Toronto to create a citywide dementia research center. He possesses a significant background in most aspects of the drug discovery process in neurological disease, with externally recognized expertise ranging from target identification and validation through preclinical and clinical development including issues of biomarker-based diagnosis and proof of concept. He has a strong international network in the Alzheimer field including industry, academia, government and the voluntary sector, plus previous involvement in multi-sector consortia. In 2012 he was a member of the committee responsible for drafting the scientific strategic recommendations to inform the National Alzheimer Plan in the US. He has authored or co-authored 70 articles in peer-reviewed journals and 19 book chapters and reviews.
About IntelGenx:
IntelGenx is a leading drug delivery company focused on the development of innovative products based on its proprietary oral drug delivery technologies.
Established in 2003, the Montreal-based company, listed on the TSX-V and OTC-QX, develops innovative oral drug delivery solutions based on its proprietary platform technologies, VersaFilm™, VersaTab™ and AdVersa™.
IntelGenx has developed a broad and diverse product portfolio addressing unmet market needs and offering lifecycle management opportunities. FORFIVO XL™, launched in 2012, is the first and only FDA approved once-daily bupropion HCI 450mg dose in a single tablet for the treatment of major depressive disorder.
IntelGenx highly skilled team provides comprehensive pharmaceuticals services to pharmaceutical partners, including R&D, clinical monitoring, IP protection, analytical method development and regulatory services. IntelGenx state-of-the art manufacturing facility, established for the VersaFilm™ technology platform, supports lab-scale to pilot and commercial-scale production, offering full service capabilities to our clients. More information is available about the company at: www.intelgenx.com.
