Tag: GlaxoSmithKline

Food for Thought: How to (Not?) Create a Buzz With Your Corporate Press Release

This week, NYC-based Immune Response BioPharma, Inc. announced that the company has terminated partnering discussions on its multiple sclerosis vaccine NeuroVax with GlaxoSmithKline. The news per se may not trigger a lot of interest – but the company has managed to create a significant buzz around its announcement, with CEO David Buswell stating that (quote from corporate press release):

“GSK is a joke and seems very ignorant on how multiple sclerosis drugs work and how to develop one, we gave them a chance to develop NeuroVax but their management appears to be very poor. We have decided to terminate any collaboration or development with GSK. GSK is a loser in the MS market and will continue to be a loser.”

When we first saw this press release, we immediately did some research to verify if it was a joke or not. However, it was posted on the company’s website on May 24. While the CEO certainly has shut the door for any further discussions with GSK, the PR has generated a lot of attention in the industry and everyone will be out following the company and the further fate of its compound. Still, we believe that the impact on Immune Response BioPharma´s corporate reputation will not be as positive as the buzz suggests.

What was your first thought when you read this statement?[poll id=”5″]

Company News: Jean-Paul Prieels joins VAXIMM’s Board of Directors

VAXIMM AG, a Swiss-German biotech spin-off from Merck KGaA focusing on cancer vaccines, announced today the appointment of Jean-Paul Prieels as a new member of its Board of Directors.

Dr. Prieels is a renowned industry expert in the vaccine field. He held various executive positions at GlaxoSmithKline, where he headed the vaccine research and development in Rixensart, Belgium, among others. Dr. Prieels, who joined GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals (formerly SmithKline Beecham Biologicals) in 1987, has been instrumental in developing several marketed vaccines, including cervical cancer vaccine Cervarix™, Rotarix™ to protect from rotavirus infection, and Synflorix™ for the prevention of pneumococcal infections. He retired from GSK as Senior Vice President Research and Development in early 2011 and is currently a board member of several biotech companies in the vaccine field.

VAXIMM’s lead product candidate VXM01 is being evaluated in a placebo-controlled phase I dose escalation study enrolling up to 45 pancreatic cancer patients, with results expected in H1, 2013.

Company News: biocrea expands management team

The German biotech company biocrea GmbH today announced the expansion of its management team by appointing Martin Gunthorpe (formerly GlaxoSmithKline, GSK) as Chief Scientific Officer, Viktor Viehweg (formerly Sibur Ltd.) to the position of Chief Financial Officer, and Simon Ward (formerly GSK) to Executive Vice President Chemistry & Development.

biocrea was established in November 2010 following a management buy-out from Biotie Therapies Corp. (HSE: BTH1V; Turku, Finland). In the transaction, biocrea acquired the CNS pipeline and a cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor platform from Biotie. biocrea’s team has a long-standing, exceptional track record in the development of CNS therapeutics, e.g. the development of a PDE10 inhibitor portfolio for the treatment of schizophrenia in collaboration with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and Pfizer, which acquired Wyeth in 2009. The company plans to expand its pipeline and to obtain attractive assets in order to build a more mature portfolio. Already, it is in advanced negotiations with several pharma partners, such as GSK.

biocrea’s management will attend the J.P. Morgan 29th Annual Healthcare Conference 2011, San Francisco, January 10-13, 2011. If you wish to make an appointment, please contact akampion via info@akampion.com.

Company News: biocrea acquires CNS pipeline and PDE inhibitor platform from Biotie

In a management-buyout, biocrea GmbH is taking over  the CNS pipeline and phosphodiesterase enzyme (PDE) inhibitor platform from Finnish Biotie Therapies Corp.

The company currently has a pipeline of three PDE inhibitors at research and preclinical stages, which will be advanced into clinical development by 2012. The compounds have already demonstrated efficacy in preclinical animal models for schizophrenia, memory impairment, depression and anxiety.

biocrea is based in Radebeul near Dresden, Germany, and will be led by Dr. Tom Kronbach, former CSO of Biotie.

More details can be found soon at biocrea’s website.

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