CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Targanta Therapeutics Corporation, a privately held biopharmaceutical company developing innovative antibiotics, today announced that Garen Bohlin has joined its Board of Directors as an independent director. With his appointment, Mr. Bohlin becomes the seventh non-executive member of the Company's board, and eighth member overall. In addition, Targanta also announced that Roger Miller, currently Vice President, Operations and Manufacturing, has been promoted and will assume the additional responsibility of Site Head for the Company's Indianapolis facility.
Mr. Bohlin is currently Chief Operating Officer of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing small molecule drugs to treat diseases of aging, such as Type 2 Diabetes. Previously, from its founding in 1999 until 2005, he served as President and CEO of Syntonix Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which discovers and develops novel, long-acting, proprietary therapeutic products, and was recently acquired by Biogen Idec. Prior to Syntonix, he spent 14 years as an executive at Genetics Institute, Inc., where, in his last role, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer responsible for most of the company's non-scientific areas, which comprised approximately half of its then 1,600 employees. Mr. Bohlin also serves as a director of Acusphere, Inc.
"We are delighted to welcome Garen to our Board," said Mark Leuchtenberger, President and Chief Executive Officer of Targanta. "With over 20 years as a biotechnology executive and industry leader, we look forward to Garen serving as an invaluable resource for Targanta as we move our lead product, oritavancin, through the regulatory process toward commercialization." Commenting on Mr. Miller's promotion, Mr. Leuchtenberger added, "Since Roger joined Targanta in January of 2006, he has successfully applied his wealth of scientific, regulatory, industry, and business experience. His promotion reflects his substantial contributions to date and our confidence in his ability to support our future endeavors."
About Oritavancin
Oritavancin, Targanta's lead product candidate, is a semi-synthetic lipoglycopeptide antibiotic with rapid in vitro bactericidal activity against a broad spectrum of serious gram-positive pathogens, including multi-resistant strains. Oritavancin's multiple targets and mechanisms of action work against the development of resistant strains, which is important when treating serious gram-positive infections. To date, over 1,500 individuals have received oritavancin in clinical trials, including two large multi-national Phase 3 studies in complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI) performed by former developers Eli Lilly and Company and InterMune, Inc. Targanta expects to file a New Drug Application for oritavancin for the treatment of cSSSI with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the first quarter of 2008.
About Targanta Therapeutics
Targanta Therapeutics Corporation is a privately held biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing innovative antibiotics to treat serious infections (either treated or acquired) in the hospital and other institutional settings. Its pipeline includes a number of antibacterial agents in various stages of development. The company has operations in Cambridge, MA, Indianapolis, IN, Montreal, Quebec, Canada and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. For further information about Targanta, visit the company website, http://www.targanta.com.
Disclaimer
All forward-looking statements and other information included in this press release are based on information available to Targanta as of the date hereof, and Targanta assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements or information. Targanta's actual results could differ materially from those described in Targanta's forward-looking statements.
Targanta Therapeutics CorporationCONTACT: Media: Gayle Crick Fischer, R.Ph. of Targanta Therapeutics,+1-317-502-2467, or Robert Stanislaro of FD, +1-212-850-5657 for TargantaTherapeutics Corporation; Investors: Brian Ritchie of FD, +1-212-850-5683for Targanta Therapeutics Corporation
Web site: http://www.targanta.com/
