RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Aug. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Howard Shapiro, a biochemist at the University of Pennsylvania, recognized the signs in himself at once ... the telltale signs of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is a neurodegenerative condition which is similar to Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The year was 1985.
Dr. Shapiro made a life-altering decision to leave his research position at the University of Pennsylvania and devote himself full-time to finding a way to treat himself -- and ultimately save his life. Fast forward to 2006. Dr. Shapiro is back on the job at the university and has had no further decline in his neuromotor function since 1986. He essentially stopped the progression of this debilitating disease.
Howard Shapiro found a unique treatment for his condition through his persistent research efforts and has subsequently been granted 14 global patents for his discoveries. He assigned the promising patents to Secant Pharma, a specialty pharmaceutical company of which he is a partner.
Theragenex, a Research Triangle-based pharmaceutical company, is pleased to announce that it will be the exclusive licensee with Secant Pharma to discover, develop and market products under these global patents. Theragenex will focus initially on the U.S. market but plans to eventually expand into worldwide pharmaceutical applications of its disease-modifying therapies.
Theragenex fully expects the applications for this new technology to extend beyond neurodegenerative diseases. Chronic inflammation throughout the body is being closely scrutinized in numerous research studies and is currently thought to be the underlying cause for a number of disease states, including arthritis, asthma and cardiovascular disease. Theragenex plans to focus its first products using this technology to combat chronic inflammatory disease.
Other applications the company is developing include halting the progression of neuropathies associated with diabetes.
It's quite an impressive beginning for Theragenex, which was founded in 2005 by David M. Preston of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Mr. Preston brings more than 25 years of experience as an executive in pharmaceutical sales, marketing and operations, both domestically and internationally, with Eli Lilly, Glaxo Wellcome, and Dura Pharmaceuticals. Prior to starting Theragenex, Preston was the founder of Victory Pharma, a San Diego-based specialty pharmaceutical company, and co-founder of DJ Pharma, a specialty pharmaceutical company which was acquired in 2000 by Biovail Corporation.
Two seasoned executives who joined Theragenex at its inception include Philip S. Tabbiner, DBA, who serves as the Chief Operating Officer. Tabbiner is a veteran of the pharmaceutical and diagnostics industries, previously holding executive positions with BioCentrex, aaiPharma, Bayer Diagnostics, Chiron, and DuPont-Merck Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Tabbiner resides in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Randal O. Jones of Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the Chief Financial Officer for Theragenex. Mr. Jones is a financial and operations executive with more than 25 years in diverse domestic and international finance. Prior to his experience in Australia and Asia, Jones had a 12-year career with Concord Holding Corporation in Denver, Colorado, where he was Chief Financial Officer and VP of Finance.
"Theragenex was created to develop and commercialize therapies that will make a difference," Preston says. A registered pharmacist, Preston says that the company is focused on providing value within the healthcare community as well as enhancing the quality of life for patients and all consumers of pharmaceutical therapies.
The Theragenex vision will be executed through inlicensing and outlicensing of breakthrough technologies, unique therapeutic approaches, and innovative pharmaceutical products. To that end, Theragenex looks to partner with strategically aligned corporate partners as well as with its internally developed commercial affiliates.
TheragenexCONTACT: Susan Preston, Director of Corporate Communications ofTheragenex, +1-919-313-3568, +1-919-423-7796, spreston@theragenex.com
Web site: http://www.theragenex.com/
