Cambridge, MA, September 27, 2005 - FoldRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (FoldRx), announced today that it has appointed Christoph M. Adams, Ph.D., as Chief Business Officer. Dr. Adams brings to FoldRx extensive experience in business and commercial development, with over 15 years of industry experience at Ciba-Geigy, Transkaryotic Therapies, and most recently ViaCell. FoldRx is focused on the discovery and development of first-in-class disease-modifying small molecule therapeutics to treat disorders of protein misfolding and aggregation.
"Chris' outstanding depth of experience in business and commercial development makes him the ideal candidate to join FoldRx as its first Chief Business Officer," said Richard Labaudinière, Ph.D., President and CEO of FoldRx. "His appointment reflects the continued growth of the company as we progress our lead transthyretin stabilizing compound toward clinical development and continue our robust earlier stage discovery and development programs."
FoldRx's lead program is focused on the development of products that stabilize the transthyretin protein to treat two genetic diseases, Familial Amyloid Polyneuropathy and Familial Amyloid Cardiomyopathy, and is currently nearing clinical development. The company's second program is focused on inhibiting the neurotoxicity of the alpha-synuclein protein to treat Parkinson's disease. FoldRx's broad discovery platform is yeast-based and allows for rapid drug candidate identification, providing an innovative approach for understanding neurodegenerative diseases and discovering new targets and lead compounds.
"FoldRx's innovative approach to the treatment of protein misfolding diseases and amyloidosis, coupled with the breadth and strength of its discovery program, made my decision to join the company an easy one," said Dr. Adams. "I look forward to contributing towards the development of FoldRx's therapeutic pipeline."
Most recently, from July 2001 to August 2005, Dr. Adams was Senior Vice President, Business Development for ViaCell, Inc., where he was responsible for strategic planning, commercial product development, and corporate partnerships. Previously, he was Vice President, Business Development for Transkaryotic Therapies, a position he held from 1994 to 2001. Prior to that, Dr. Adams was Director of Business Development for the Pharmaceutical Division of Ciba-Geigy Limited in Basel, Switzerland. He holds a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Zurich, where he also received his degree in organic chemistry and biochemistry. Dr. Adams also holds an M.B.A. from INSEAD, the European Institute of Business Administration, in Fontainebleau, France.
About FoldRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
FoldRx Pharmaceuticals is a development and discovery company focusing on first-in-class disease-modifying small molecule therapeutics to treat diseases of protein misfolding and aggregation (amyloidosis). Protein misfolding is increasingly being recognized as an underlying cause in many chronic degenerative diseases. By applying FoldRx's proprietary expertise in protein folding and its platform for drug and target discovery, the company is building a pipeline, initially for neurodegenerative and cardiovascular conditions. FoldRx's initial pipeline includes a program in advanced pre-clinical development to treat genetic neurologic and cardiovascular disorders, Familial Amyloid Polyneuropathy (FAP) and Familial Amyloid Cardiomyopathy (FAC), and a discovery program in Parkinson's disease, based on its broad yeast-based drug discovery platform. For more information on FoldRx, please visit the company's web site at www.foldrx.com.
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