Copenhagen, 23 January 2007 Santaris Pharma, the Danish biopharmaceutical company focussed on RNAi medicines, announces that Dr Walter Wenninger, an ex-Member of the Board of Management of Bayer AG and ex-Chairman of Bayer Corporation USA, has been elected a member of the Board of Directors of Santaris Pharma. Dr Wenninger’s appointment completes the restructuring of the Santaris Pharma board following the Company’s €40m financing in 2006. Announcing the appointment, Dr Keith McCullagh, President and CEO of Santaris Pharma, said: "I am delighted to welcome Dr Walter Wenninger to the Board of Santaris Pharma. He brings substantial experience of international pharmaceutical and healthcare management to Santaris and, in addition, he has guided the successful development of a number of successful European biomedical businesses. I know that Santaris and its shareholders will gain significantly from his contribution to the Company."
Commenting on Santaris Pharma and his appointment, Dr Wenninger said:
"Santaris Pharma is a quality company in the European life science industry and I believe it has the potential to bring to market a series of innovative medicines based on 21st century science. Santaris Pharma’s rapidly developing portfolio of proprietary RNA Antagonists may bring unique benefits to patients across a range of diseases. I am pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to their continued growth and development."
Dr Wenninger is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Paion AG, a public German life science company, and Vice-Chairman of the Supervisory Boards of Epidaurus AG and Axiogenesis AG, as well as being a member of the Board of Arrow Therapeutics Ltd., London. He has also been a member of the Executive Committee of the German Cardiac Research Foundation since 1992, a member of the Executive Committee of the Robert-Koch-Foundation since 1996 and a member of the Board of Trustees of the German Cancer Research Center since 1998. Dr Wenninger qualified in veterinary medicine and has a PhD and MBA from the University of Munich.
Santaris Pharma Board 2007:The Santaris Pharma Board of Directors now includes Martien van Osch, Partner, Forbion Capital Partners (Chairman); Dr Claus Braestrup, CEO, Lundbeck A/S; Søren Carlsen, Managing Partner, Novo Ventures; Holger Reithinger, Principal, Global Life Science Ventures; Linda Sjøstrøm, Partner, BankInvest; Dr Walter Wenninger; and Keith McCullagh, President & CEO, Santaris Pharma.
For further information, please contact:
Dr. Keith McCullagh President & CEO,
Santaris Pharma
Tel. +45 4517 9819
km@santaris.com
About Santaris Pharma
Santaris Pharma is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing a new class of drugs intended to switch off the expression of harmful genes. Called RNA Antagonists, these new drugs are being developed by Santaris and its corporate partners for the treatment of cancer and metabolic disorders. Created in May 2003 and backed by a broad group of leading international life science venture capital investors, Santaris Pharma completed a Euro 40m second round of equity financing in May 2006. In July 2006, the Company entered into a global partnership with Enzon Pharmaceuticals of New Jersey to co-develop and commercialise a series of Santaris RNA Antagonists for improving the treatment of cancer.
Santaris Pharma’s RNA Antagonist drug pipeline is based on its unique LNA technology. LNA drugs, with their high potency and biostability, have the potential to transform the field of RNAi medicines, making specific and effective gene silencing a reality in human medicine. If this potential is realised, even in part, it may be possible to design new drugs to treat the underlying genetic causes of disease rather than just the physical symptoms. Santaris Pharma holds the world wide patent rights to the exploitation of LNA in pharmaceuticals and presently has three drugs in preclinical or clinical development. The lead drug candidate, SPC2996, is currently undergoing international, multicenter, phase I/II clinical studies in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL).
For further company information see
www.santaris.com