CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--13 Jul--PRNewswire-AsiaNet/InfoQuest
Mersana Therapeutics, a cancer therapeutics company, announced today the appointment of Nicholas G. Bacopoulos, Ph.D. to its Board of Directors. A 24-year industry veteran, Dr. Bacopoulos brings to Mersana extensive top-level management experience in the biopharmaceutical industry including the discovery and development of new products in several therapeutic areas, including
"We are very pleased to welcome Nick to our board of directors at this pivotal point in Mersana's development," stated Julie A. Olson, Ph.D., President and CEO of Mersana "His extensive product development experience, especially in oncology, will be invaluable as our lead product, XMT-1001, continues to progress in the clinic."
"Mersana's proprietary Fleximer technology and novel approach to drug development have the potential to create important new products," commented Nicholas Bacopoulos, Ph.D. "There is an enormous unmet medical need for new cancer treatments and I am looking forward to contributing to Mersana's efforts as an active member of their board of directors."
Dr. Bacopoulos has extensive experience with the discovery and development of anticancer agents. Previously, as CEO and President at Aton Pharma, Inc. he oversaw the advancement of the company's lead product, Zolinza(R), which later became the first histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Aton was acquired by Merck & Co. in 2004. Dr. Bacopoulos also served as President and Head of Research and Development at OSI Pharmaceuticals which entered into collaborative agreements with Genentech and Roche for the worldwide development of the oncology product Tarceva(R), a
Dr. Bacopoulos received his B.A. degree from Cornell College and his Ph.D. degree from the University of Iowa. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine and was a member of the faculty of Dartmouth Medical School. He serves on the Board of Directors of several ventures, including Medexis. S.A. and MAKScientific, LLC.
About Fleximer Technology
Mersana is transforming oncology product development by creating new drugs from known active anti-cancer agents through application of its Fleximer technology platform. Fleximer is a novel, biodegradable and bio-inert polymer that can be chemically linked to existing drugs, including small chemical entities, peptides and biologics. Fleximer-based compounds can be individually designed to improve the therapeutic performance of drugs by modulating such properties as circulation time and release, while significantly improving rate-limiting toxicity profiles.
About Mersana Therapeutics, Inc.
Mersana, a privately held, venture backed company, utilizes its proprietary technology platform to transform existing and experimental anti-cancer agents into new, patentable drugs with superior pharmaceutical properties. The key component of Mersana's platform is Fleximer(R), a novel, biodegradable and bio-inert material that can be chemically linked to existing
Fleximer(R) is a trademark of Mersana Therapeutics, Inc. Zolinza(R) is a trademark of Merck & Co., Inc. Tarceva(R) is a trademark of OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Aricept(R) is a trademark of Eisai Co. Ltd. Zelodox(R) and Zoloft(R) are trademarks of Pfizer, Inc.
SOURCE: Mersana Therapeutics
CONTACT: Pete Leone,
Chief Operating Officer of Mersana Therapeutics, Inc.,
+1-617-498-0020; or
Kathryn Morris of KMorrisPR for Mersana Therapeutics,
+1-845-635-9828,
Web site: http://www.mersana.com
--Distributed by AsiaNet ( www.asianetnews.net )--
Mersana, a cancer therapeutics company, announced today that Timothy B. Lowinger, Ph.D., has joined the company as Chief Scientific Officer. "We are thrilled that Tim is now a part of the Mersana team," said Julie A. Olson, President and CEO at Mersana. "His extensive leadership in oncology research and his experience with polymer-based drug systems are an ideal match for Mersana. In addition to the important impact he will have on our newest programs, his contributions toward advancing our lead