INDIANAPOLIS, June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Semafore Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that Ullrich S. Schwertschlag, M.D., Ph.D., has joined the company as chief medical officer. Dr. Schwertschlag will formulate Semafore’s clinical and regulatory strategies and will direct the company’s clinical programs, including its current Phase l studies of lead PI3-kinase inhibitor SF1126 in solid tumor cancers.
“Dr. Schwertschlag brings a wealth of drug development and clinical expertise to Semafore,” said John Sima, interim CEO of Semafore. “His experience at both major pharmaceutical and biotech firms spans all stages of the drug development process. We believe his expertise in advancing novel therapies through the clinic will be invaluable as Semafore further develops its oncology product pipeline.”
Dr. Schwertschlag has almost two decades of experience in drug development ranging from translational medicine to the clinical development and registration of late stage compounds for oncology, hematology and inflammatory diseases. Most recently, Dr. Schwertschlag was vice president of clinical research and development at Mersana Therapeutics, where he was responsible for pharmacology, toxicology and clinical development. Previously, he was head of translational medicine and clinical pharmacology at TAP Pharmaceuticals. At Wyeth/Genetics Institute, Dr. Schwertschlag served for 10 years as head of clinical immunology and clinical pharmacology, leading a variety of clinical programs and contributing to the successful registration of Neumega (IL-11) for oncology indications and infectious disease agent Factor IX. Formerly, Dr. Schwertschlag was a research physician and clinical pharmacologist at Eli Lilly & Company.
Dr. Schwertschlag received his M.D. from the University of Heidelberg, Germany and his Ph.D. in biophysics and radiation biology from the University of Freiburg, Germany. He was a post-doctoral fellow and instructor at Heidelberg University and was a fellow of the Merck, Sharp and Dohme Foundation in Clinical Pharmacology, University of Colorado, Denver. He has been a faculty member and attending physician in the department of medicine at Duke University, Indiana University and Tufts University.
About Semafore
Semafore is a clinical stage drug discovery and development company focused on small molecule modulators of the PI3 kinase and PTEN cell signaling pathway, a promising target pathway for multiple disorders, including the company’s focus -- cancer. Semafore is one of the first biopharmaceutical companies to focus on both PI3K and PTEN and has successfully discovered and is developing a portfolio of drug candidates addressing these targets. For more information see the company’s website at http://www.semaforepharma.com.
Contacts: Semafore Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Media: Derek A. Small Barbara Lindheim Business Development & GendeLLindheim BioCom Regulatory Affairs Partners (317) 876-3075 (212) 918-4650
Semafore Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
CONTACT: Derek A. Small, Business Development & Regulatory Affairs ofSemafore Pharmaceuticals, Inc., +1-317-876-3075; or Barbara Lindheim ofGendeLLindheim BioCom Partners, +1-212-918-4650, for SemaforePharmaceuticals, Inc.
Web site: http://www.semaforepharma.com//
