LEUVEN, Belgium, February 5 /PRNewswire/ -- ThromboGenics NV , a biotechnology company focused on vascular disease, announces today that it has further strengthened the Company's management team. It has appointed Patrik De Haes, MD, who has more than 20 years experience in the healthcare industry, as Chief Operating Officer. ThromboGenics has also appointed Franky Terras as Patent Counsel. Drs De Haes and Terras will be joining the company on 5 February and 2 April 2007, respectively.
Patrik De Haes MD, COO of ThromboGenics
Dr. De Haes brings extensive healthcare industry experience to ThromboGenics. Over the last 20 years, he has held a number of positions in product development, marketing and general management with blue-chip companies in the life science sector. Prior to joining ThromboGenics, De Haes was Senior Vice President and Head of the Global Infusion Business at Roche Diagnostics, Bern Switzerland, and a member of the Executive Committee of Roche Diabetes Care. Before this, and until its acquisition by Roche, he was President and CEO of Disetronic Medical Systems, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, a leader in insulin pump therapy, where he successfully developed the company into one of the fastest growing MedTech companies in the USA. De Haes has also held senior positions in pharmaceuticals with Sandoz Pharma (now part of Novartis), where he led the development and commercialisation of the company's first biotech product. De Haes is a Medical Doctor, University of Leuven, Belgium, and holds degrees in Marketing Strategy from INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France and a corporate MBA, University of St Thomas, Minneapolis, USA.
Franky Terras, Patent Counsel of ThromboGenics
Dr. Terras has spent more than seven years as a Patent Counsel for a number of biotechnology companies. Before joining ThromboGenics, he was Patent Counsel at Innogenetics in Gent, Belgium, where he supervised over 400 patent applications, and conducted infringement and freedom-to-operate analyses. He was previously Intellectual Property Liaison at CropDesign (now part of BASF), Gent, Belgium. He holds a Ph.D. in Applied Biological Sciences, University of Leuven, Belgium.
Professor Desire Collen, CEO and Chairman of ThromboGenics, said: "I am delighted that we have been able to attract such a group of highly experienced industry professionals to ThromboGenics. I am confident that our strengthened management team will enable us to create further value for our shareholders by advancing the clinical programmes of our most promising drug candidates in back of the eye and vascular disease, and supporting the company in delivering our key corporate objectives."
About ThromboGenics
ThromboGenics is a biotechnology company focused on discovery and development of biopharmaceuÂÂticals for the treatment of a range of vascular diseases. The Company has several programs in Phase II clinical development including microplasmin, which is being evaluated as a treatment for vitreoretinal disorders and as a thrombolytic agent for vascular occlusive diseases, including acute stroke. ThromboGenics also has five other drug candidates in preclinical development with preclinical proof-of-principle demonstrated, including TB-402 (Anti-Factor VIII) and TB-403 (Anti-PlGF). The Company has built strong links with the University of Leuven and has exclusive rights to certain therapeutics developed at the University. ThromboGenics is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium and has subsidiaries in Ireland and the U.S. The Company is listed on Eurolist by Euronext Brussels under the symbol THR. More information is available at www.thrombogenics.com.
Important information about forward-looking statements
Certain statements in this press release may be considered "forward-looking". Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, and, accordingly, entail and are influenced by various risks and uncertainties. The Company therefore cannot provide any assurance that such forward-looking statements will materialize and does not assume an obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or any other reason. Additional information concerning risks and uncertainties affecting the business and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement is contained in the prospectus.
ThromboGenics NVCONTACT: For further information please contact: ThromboGenics, Prof.Desire Collen, CEO, Tel: +32-(0)-16-34-61-94, Citigate Dewe Rogerson, DavidDible / Valerie Auffray, Tel: +44-(0)-207-638-95-71
