Sydney, Australia – 14 April 2015: Medibio Ltd (MEB or the Company) a clinical stage company developing ground breaking, objective, quantitative tests for depression and other forms of mental illness, as well as applications for corporate and consumer chronic stress, is pleased to announce today, the appointment of Franklyn G. Prendergast, M.D., Ph.D., the Emeritus Edmond and Marion Guggenheim Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Emeritus Professor of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Medical School, to its Physician Advisory Board.
Dr. Prendergast is the former Chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the former director for research at Mayo Clinic from 1989-1992. From 1989-1996, he was a member of the Board of Governors for Mayo Clinic, Rochester. From 1999-2007 inclusive, he was member of Mayo Clinic’s Executive Committee, the senior most internal governance committee for the entire Mayo system. He served on Mayo Clinic’s Board of Trustees continuously between 1992-2009. He was recognized as a Mayo Distinguished Investigator in 1988 and is the director emeritus, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center (1995-2006) and director emeritus for the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine (2008-2012). Dr. Prendergast retired from Mayo Clinic in December of 2014.
Dr Prendergast has been a member of the Eli Lilly Company Board of Directors since 1995. He served extensively for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on numerous study section review groups; as a charter member of the Board of Advisors for the Division of Research Grants, now the Center for Scientific Review; the National Advisory General Medical Sciences Council; the Board of Scientific Advisors of the National Cancer Institute. He held a Presidential Commission for service on the National Cancer Advisory Board. Dr. Prendergast also has served in numerous other advisory roles for the NIH. He was a member of the board of directors of the Translational Genomics Research Institute and the Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI).
Dr Prendergast’s reputation and experience within US healthcare, especially clinical research and healthcare policy, brings tremendous gravitas to Medibio Limited’s technology and strategy. The acceptance by Dr Prendergast and his appointment to Medibio’s Advisory Board is testament to the company’s technology as an important evolution in the detection and treatment of mental illness.
In commenting on his appointment Dr Prendergast said, “I am looking forward to beginning my relationship with Medibio Limited. I am thrilled they are bringing an objective, evidence based test, to the field of mental illness, where none has existed before. This is a ground-breaking area and I am excited to be involved.”
“We are extremely privileged to have the opportunity to work with Dr. Prendergast, who has been a world-class researcher, and thought leader in the area of the future of healthcare and ways to improve the delivery of healthcare as broadly as possible,” said Matt Mesnik, M.D. Chief Medical Officer, Medibio Ltd.
Born in Linstead, Jamaica, Dr. Prendergast obtained his medical degree with honors from the University of West Indies and attended Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, earning the M.A. degree in physiology. After an internal medicine residency at Mayo Clinic, Dr. Prendergast obtained the Ph.D. degree in biochemistry at the University of Minnesota/Mayo Graduate School
Dr. Prendergast has been the recipient of numerous honours and awards, including the Edmond and Marion Guggenheim Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (1987); Mayo Distinguished Investigator (1988); distinguished alumnus, University of Minnesota and University of the West Indies; and honorary doctorates, Purdue University and University of the West Indies. He is a member of the American Chemical Society, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Biophysical Society, Sigma Xi, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the American Cancer Society.
In addition to his role on the Board of Directors of Eli Lilly Dr. Prendergast currently serves on a number of boards and committees including the Board of Directors Infectious Diseases Research Institute (since 1999), Board of Directors International Medica Foundation, a non-profit foundation committed to the development of medical products and services, (since 2007) and the Board of Visitors, College of Engineering , University of Illinois (since 2011).
About Medibio Limited
Medibio (ASX: MEB), is a medical technology company developing a new objective test to assist in the diagnosis of depression and other mental health disorders and chronic stress. This test utilizes circadian heart rate variability. The technology is based on the scientific finding that circadian heart rate variability is a sensitive measure for depression and other mental health disorders and chronic stress. The technology consists of a heart monitor that sends ECG recordings wirelessly to the internet where a proprietary algorithm analyses and delivers a quantifiable measure which can be used by a clinician to assist in diagnosis. The Technology has the potential to be the first FDA Approved objective, evidence based approach to the diagnosis of depression and other mental health disorders. The technology has already benefited from 10 years of laboratory research and Medibio is undertaking a number of pivotal studies to validate its clinical utility. Located in Sydney, NSW, Medibio is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.
Medibio Shareholder Enquiries to:
Kris Knauer
CEO and Director Medibio Limited
kris.knauer@medibio.com.au
T: +61 (0)411 885 979
Medibio Media Enquiries to:
Peter Taylor
NWR Communications
peter@nwrcommunications.com.au
T: +61 (0)412 036 231
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