RICHMOND, Calif., Nov. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: SGMO) announced that Edward Lanphier, the Company’s president and CEO, has been elected to serve as the next Chairman of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM). Washington, DC-based ARM is an international organization that represents and supports industry, clinical institutions, patient advocates and other stakeholders in the development of safe and effective gene and cell therapies. Mr. Lanphier succeeds Geoff MacKay, president and CEO of Organogenesis Inc., who will complete his two-year term as chairman on December 31, 2014.
“ARM has an increasingly important role in the advancement of gene and cell-based therapies which have the potential to revolutionize medicine, and I am honored to accept the chairmanship of the organization,” said Edward Lanphier. “Advanced therapies such as gene therapy, modified-cell therapy and tissue engineering represent fundamentally new approaches to address the underlying causes of many forms of disease, trauma and the consequences of aging, while significantly reducing healthcare expenditures. I look forward to expanding the role of ARM to accelerate progress of these important therapies for the patients who will ultimately benefit from them.”
One of Mr. Lanphier’s first tasks as incoming chairman will be to provide an update on the latest advances in the regenerative medicine field at a congressional briefing organized by the Medical Technology Caucus and ARM. The briefing, which will be held on Wednesday, November 12, 2014, is entitled “Promise and Potential: Meeting Unmet Medical Needs through Regenerative Medicine”.
Mr. Lanphier founded Sangamo and has served as its president and CEO and as a member of its Board of Directors since the Company’s inception in 1995. He has over thirty years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, holding various executive management positions at several organizations in that time. From June 1992 to May 1997, he held positions at Somatix Therapy Corporation, an early gene therapy company, including Executive Vice President, Commercial Development and Chief Financial Officer. He joined Somatix following extensive experience at BioGrowth, Inc., and Synergen Inc. Previously, Mr. Lanphier was employed by Eli Lilly and Company in its strategic business planning biotechnology group. He is currently a trustee for The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, and serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board for the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Mr. Lanphier holds a B.A. in biochemistry from Knox College.
Sangamo’s novel zinc finger protein (ZFP) technology is being developed for various therapeutic applications such as HIV/AIDS and several monogenic diseases including sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia, hemophilia, lysosomal storage disorders and Huntington’s disease. The Company’s lead program, SB-728-T for HIV/AIDS, is currently being evaluated in a Phase 2 clinical trial (SB-728-mR-1401).
About The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine
The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) is an international multi-stakeholder advocacy organization that promotes legislative, regulatory and reimbursement initiatives necessary to facilitate access to life-giving advances in regenerative medicine worldwide. ARM also works to increase public understanding of the field and its potential to transform human healthcare, providing business development and investor outreach services to support the growth of its member companies and research organizations. Prior to the formation of ARM in 2009, there was no advocacy organization operating in Washington, DC to specifically represent the interests of the companies, research institutions, investors and patient groups that comprise the entire regenerative medicine community. Today, ARM has more than 200 members and is the leading global advocacy organization in this field. To learn more about ARM or to become a member, visit www.alliancerm.org
About Sangamo
Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. is focused on Engineering Genetic Cures for monogenic and infectious diseases by deploying its novel DNA-binding protein technology platform in therapeutic gene regulation and genome editing. The Company has ongoing Phase 2 clinical trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a novel ZFP Therapeutic® for the treatment of HIV/AIDS (SB-728-T) and NGF-AAV for Alzheimer’s disease (CERE-110). Sangamo’s other therapeutic programs are focused on monogenic and rare diseases. The Company has formed a strategic collaboration with Shire International GmbH to develop therapeutics for hemophilia, Huntington’s disease and other monogenic diseases, and with Biogen Idec for hemoglobinopathies, such as sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia. It has also established strategic partnerships with companies in non-therapeutic applications of its technology, including Dow AgroSciences and Sigma-Aldrich Corporation. For more information about Sangamo, visit the Company’s website at www.sangamo.com.
ZFP Therapeutic® is a registered trademark of Sangamo BioSciences, Inc.
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding Sangamo’s current expectations. These forward looking statements include, without limitation, references to the research and development of ZFNs and ZFP TFs, clinical trials and therapeutic applications of Sangamo’s ZFP technology platform. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, the early stage of ZFP Therapeutic development, the lengthy and uncertain regulatory approval process, uncertainties related to the timing of initiation and completion of clinical trials, whether clinical trial results will validate and support the safety and efficacy of ZFP Therapeutics, and the ability to establish strategic partnerships. Further, there can be no assurance that the necessary regulatory approvals will be obtained or that Sangamo and its partners will be able to develop commercially viable gene-based therapeutics. Actual results may differ from those projected in forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties that exist in Sangamo’s operations and business environments. These risks and uncertainties are described more fully in Sangamo’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and Sangamo undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.
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SOURCE Sangamo BioSciences, Inc.
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