Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium, January 23, 2015 – Promethera Biosciences, a Belgian biotechnology company developing Promethera® HepaStem, a cell-based therapy for the treatment of in-born errors of metabolism and acquired liver diseases, today announces the resignation of Eric Halioua from his post as CEO of Promethera and all other functions within the company. He has decided to leave in order to concentrate on other projects.
As CEO of the company since it was founded in 2009, Eric Halioua was the driving force behind the operational and financial growth of Promethera Biosciences, working closely with Professor Etienne Sokal, the company’s scientific founder.
Eric Halioua was instrumental in setting up the staffing structure and in taking Promethera Hepastem into Phase I/II clinical trials for orphan diseases such as Crigler-Najjar syndrome and urea cycle disorder (UCD). The search for his successor has already begun. The chairman of the board of directors, Dr. John Tchelingerian, will assume the role of acting CEO during the transition phase.
“On behalf of the board of directors and the company as a whole, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Eric for his contribution to the successful growth of Promethera Biosciences since it was first established. We wish him all the very best in his plans for the future,” said Dr. Tchelingerian.
“Promethera Biosciences has a highly talented team and attractive technology. I am very proud of what we have achieved together over the last six years. I wish the company every success,” said Eric Halioua.
About Promethera Biosciences
Promethera Biosciences is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company that develops innovative therapies for the treatment of liver diseases. In addition, it is currently developing two products based on human liver progenitor cells:
Promethera® HepaStem is a cell therapy product based on the use of allogeneic stem cells isolated from healthy adult human livers (Heterologous Human Adult Liver Progenitor Cells, HHALPC). These cells can be used to treat a wide variety of liver diseases, from rare inborn metabolic diseases (which can be classified as ‘orphan diseases’ and mainly affect children), to acquired deficiencies affecting adults, such as fulminant hepatitis or liver fibrosis. This treatment has already received the orphan drug designation from the European Medicines Agency for the treatment of two very debilitating pediatric pathologies and from the Food and Drug Administration (USA) for both indications.
Promethera® H2Screen/H3Screen is a non-therapeutic in vitro product, based on a recently discovered and patented liver progenitor cell type, isolated from healthy adult human livers. This novel biotechnology tool is designed for early preclinical pharmaco-toxicological evaluation of drug candidates and new chemical entities.
Promethera Biosciences is a spin-off of the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL). Founded in 2009, it is located in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium.
Since its creation in 2009, Promethera Biosciences has raised €65.5 million in capital, grants and loans from the Walloon region and bank loans. The main investors are Vesalius Biocapital, Mitsui Global Investment, Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, Shire, SRIW, SFPI and SMS Investments. Promethera Biosciences has 40 employees led by an experienced management team.
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