SRI International Appoints Jim Rurka as Executive Director of Biosciences Commercialization

MENLO PARK, CA--(Marketwire - February 04, 2009) - SRI International, an independent, nonprofit research and development organization, announced today that James E. Rurka has been appointed executive director, Biosciences Commercialization. In this role, Rurka will lead efforts to bring SRI’s pharmaceutical products and technologies to the market through licensing and partnership agreements.

Rurka comes to SRI with many years of experience in large pharmaceutical companies as well as start-up and established biotechnology companies. Over the course of his career, Rurka has successfully closed more than 20 licensing and venture deals, launched new pharmaceutical products onto the market, and served as CEO of both private and public healthcare companies.

“Jim Rurka’s extensive experience and his particular focus on oncology and infectious diseases will be valuable assets to SRI’s commercialization efforts,” said Norman Winarsky, Ph.D., vice president of Ventures, Licensing and Strategic Programs at SRI International.

Prior to joining SRI, Jim was co-owner and Chief Business Officer of Blanca Pharmaceuticals, a closely-held private biopharmaceutical company focused on late-stage preclinical development of antibiotics for serious bacterial infections.

Before Blanca Pharmaceuticals, Rurka served as president and CEO of SLIL Biomedical Corporation, where he focused on advancing anti-cancer compounds. He also served as president and CEO of Microcide Pharmaceuticals, where he closed three pharmaceutical corporate partnerships, took the company public, and created a spin-out company (Iconix) to extend Microcide’s microbial genomics technologies to human genomics drug targets.

Earlier in his career, Rurka served as President of the Cetus Oncology Division of Chiron Corporation, following the merger of Cetus Corporation and Chiron Corporation. Rurka earlier had several executive management roles within Cetus, and established a profitable and fully integrated domestic oncology therapeutics division.

Before entering the biotechnology healthcare sector, Rurka held a variety of marketing positions at Bristol-Myers Squibb and Schering-Plough Corporation, with responsibilities in the oncology and infectious disease therapy areas.

Rurka has a B.A. in English literature from Seton Hall University and served in the U.S. Navy. He formerly served on the Boards of Directors of SLIL Biomedical Corporation, Microcide Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Essential Pharmaceuticals, Inc. He is also a former director of the Emerging Companies Section and Governing Board of the Biotechnology Industry Organization.

About SRI International

Silicon Valley-based SRI International (www.sri.com) is one of the world’s leading independent research and technology development organizations. SRI, which was founded by Stanford University as Stanford Research Institute in 1946 and became independent in 1970, has been meeting the strategic needs of clients and partners for more than 60 years. Perhaps best known for its invention of the computer mouse and interactive computing, SRI has also been responsible for major advances in networking and communications, robotics, drug discovery and development, advanced materials, atmospheric research, education research, economic development, national security, and more. The nonprofit institute performs sponsored research and development for government agencies, businesses, and foundations. SRI also licenses its technologies, forms strategic alliances, and creates spin-off companies. In 2007, SRI’s consolidated revenues, including its wholly owned for-profit subsidiary, Sarnoff Corporation, were approximately $450 million.