EMERYVILLE, Calif., July 5 /PRNewswire/ -- NovaCal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the appointment of Alex McPherson, M.D., Ph.D. to its Board of Directors. Dr. McPherson has recently retired as President and CEO of Biomira, Inc. He was the longest serving President and CEO of any biotechnology company in North America.
Dr. McPherson received his degree in medicine from the University of Alberta in 1962 and his Ph.D. and specialty training in immunology in Australia from 1964 to 1969. He was appointed full Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Alberta in 1977. He served as Deputy Minister of Alberta -- Hospitals and Medical Care until 1988 when he was appointed Deputy Commissioner and Executive Director of the Premier’s Commission on Future Health Care for Albertans. Dr. McPherson is a Fellow of the Canadian, Australasian and American Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons and is a past president of both the Alberta and Canadian Medical Associations.
Dr. McPherson was President and Chief Executive Officer of Biomira, Inc. from 1991 until May of this year. He currently serves on several Boards, and was a member of the Board of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). He recently received the BIOTECanada award for “Contribution to Advancing the Benefits of Biotech for Canadians.”
“Dr. McPherson brings an exceptional breadth of biotechnology, academic and public service experience to our board at a time when we expect to be moving forward rapidly on several fronts,” said Dr. Ron Najafi, the Chairman and CEO of NovaCal. “I am sure that the interests of NovaCal and its shareholders will be well served by this appointment.”
About NovaCal
NovaCal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a privately held clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of its Aganocide(TM) class of non-antibiotic anti-infective compounds. It is currently conducting clinical trials in the United States in the treatment of patient with infected chronic venous ulcers. NovaCal expects to begin human clinical trials of its second compound early next year to treat or prevent infections in a variety of different indications, especially where bacterial resistance or bacterial biofilm are significant factors. www.novacal.com
NovaCal Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
CONTACT: Ron Najafi, Ph.D., Chairman & CEO of NovaCal Pharmaceuticals,Inc., +1-510-595-1100, ext .50, or rnajafi@novacal.com
Web site: http://www.novacal.com//
