THE WOODLANDS, Texas, March 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lexicon Genetics Incorporated today announced the appointment of Tamar D. Howson as executive vice president of business development, responsible for leading the company’s pharmaceutical partnering and licensing efforts. She will be a member of the company’s executive management team, and will report to Arthur T. Sands, M.D., Ph.D., Lexicon’s president and chief executive officer.
Ms. Howson brings to this position broad pharmaceutical and biotech industry experience, most recently at Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, where she served as senior vice president of corporate and business development and member of the executive committee since 2001. During her tenure there, Ms. Howson was responsible for leading the company’s efforts in external alliances, licensing and acquisitions.
“Tamar Howson is one of the industry’s most experienced and highly- regarded deal-makers, and we are pleased to have her join our senior leadership team,” said Dr. Sands. “Lexicon continues to pursue its strategy of selectively working with collaborators to accelerate the development and commercialization of the company’s growing pipeline of clinical and preclinical drug candidates. Tamar will play an important role in the growth of our company as we embark on the next stage of our development.”
Prior to her tenure at Bristol-Myers Squibb, Ms. Howson worked at SmithKline Beecham from 1991 to 2000, where she was senior vice president and director of business development, responsible for worldwide in-licensing and business development. She also managed SR One Ltd., the $100 million venture capital fund of SmithKline Beecham.
In 2000 and 2001, Ms. Howson served as an independent business consultant and adviser to companies both in the United States and in Europe. Before joining SmithKline Beecham, Ms. Howson served as vice president, venture investments at Johnson Associates, a venture capital firm, and earlier as director, worldwide business development and licensing for Squibb Corporation.
“I believe Lexicon’s approach to drug discovery has produced a truly exciting pharmaceutical pipeline, and I look forward to helping to develop its full commercial potential,” said Ms. Howson. “I am thrilled to join Lexicon’s executive management team, which I have held in high regard for the many years I have known them.”
Ms. Howson received her M.B.A. in finance and international business from Columbia University. Educated as a chemical engineer, she holds a M.S. from the City College of New York and a B.S. from the Technion in Israel.
About Lexicon
Lexicon is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of breakthrough treatments for human disease. Lexicon currently has clinical programs underway for such areas of major unmet medical need as irritable bowel syndrome and cognitive disorders. The company has used its proprietary gene knockout technology to discover more than 100 promising drug targets and create an extensive pipeline of clinical and preclinical programs in the therapeutic areas of diabetes and obesity, cardiovascular disease, psychiatric and neurological disorders, cancer, immune system disorders and ophthalmic disease. To advance the development and commercialization of its programs, Lexicon is working both independently and through collaborators including Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Genentech, Inc., N.V. Organon and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. For additional information about Lexicon and its programs, please visit http://www.lexicon-genetics.com .
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains “forward-looking statements,” including statements relating to Lexicon’s growth and future operating results, discovery and development of products, strategic alliances and intellectual property, as well as other matters that are not historical facts or information. All forward-looking statements are based on management’s current assumptions and expectations and involve risks, uncertainties and other important factors, specifically including those relating to Lexicon’s ability to successfully conduct preclinical and clinical development of its potential drug candidates, advance additional candidates into preclinical and clinical development, obtain necessary regulatory approvals, achieve its operational objectives, obtain patent protection for its discoveries and establish strategic alliances, as well as additional factors relating to manufacturing, intellectual property rights, and the therapeutic or commercial value of its drug candidates, that may cause Lexicon’s actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Information identifying such important factors is contained under “Factors Affecting Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” in Lexicon’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Lexicon undertakes no obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Lexicon Genetics Incorporated
CONTACT: Bobbie Faulkner, Investor Relations of Lexicon GeneticsIncorporated, +1-281-863-3503, or bfaulkner@lexgen.com
Web site: http://www.lexicon-genetics.com/
