Santhera's CSO Thomas Meier Receives BioValley Award for Scientific
and Entrepreneurial Merits
Santhera Pharmaceuticals (SWX:SANN), a Swiss specialty pharmaceutical
company focused on neuromuscular diseases, announces today that
Thomas Meier, Chief Scientific Officer of Santhera, has been honored
with the prestigious BioValley Basel Award 2007 "s'Goldig Läggerli"
for his contributions to the greater Basel area, his merits in
advancing science in the field of neuromuscular diseases and for his
successful founding of MyoContract AG, one of the two predecessor
companies that in 2004 combined businesses to form today's Santhera.
At the award ceremony, Rolf Rolli, Vice President of BioValley Basel,
praised Thomas Meier as an outstanding scientist and example for
other ambitious researchers: "Thomas Meier was infected with the
entrepreneurial virus during his postdoctoral research stay in the
U. S. and has been addicted to this spirit ever since. Back in
Switzerland, he founded MyoContract as the first life sciences
spin-off from the Biozentrum of the University of Basel. In 2004, at
the creation of Santhera, he fostered a greater vision as an
entrepreneur in which he became Chief Scientific Officer of the new
company to focus on his main strengths, which are the scientific work
and the understanding of neuromuscular biological processes."
Dr Thomas Meier, Chief Scientific Officer of Santhera and winner of
the BioValley Basel Award 2007, commented: "I feel honored to receive
this Award. Everyone familiar with our company knows how many people
contributed to today's success. To team up with others was probably
one of my first lessons learnt and a great personal experience. To
this extent, the Award also goes to all who have been involved in
advancing our vision since the starting years at MyoContract up to
today, as new talents join us in our effort to become a leading
specialty pharmaceutical company. Our shared goal is to bring
effective therapies to patients - children and adults - who suffer
from devastating neuromuscular diseases. "
The BioValley Basel Association created the BioValley Basel Award in
2002 with the purpose of honoring outstanding contributions to the
Life Sciences in the BioValley. With the "Goldig Läggerli" award, the
jury, consisting of the Board of BioValley Basel, pays tribute to
persons who have had a substantial and lasting impact on Life
Sciences in science, medicine, business and public policy in the
greater Basel area. Previous prizewinners include the founding team
of Actelion, Prof Dr Hans-Joachim Güntherodt and Prof G Schatz
(University of Basel), Dr Jürg Meier (Novartis Venture Fund) and Dr
h .c. Georg H. Endress (Endress+Hauser).
Biography Thomas Meier
Dr Thomas Meier (born 1962) studied biology and neurosciences at the
Universities of Erlangen (Germany), Geneva and Basel (both
Switzerland). He received his Ph.D. from the University of Basel in
1992. He then took a postdoctoral research position at the University
of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver/CO, US, where he studied
the biochemical basis of nerve-muscle interactions. After his return
to Switzerland, in 1999, Dr. Meier became an independent research
group leader and lecturer at the Department of Pharmacology &
Neurobiology at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel. The
following year he founded MyoContract AG and became CEO of this first
spin-off from the Biozentrum. In 2004, he combined businesses with
Heidelberg-based Graffinity Pharmaceuticals to form Santhera
Pharmaceuticals.
Dr Meier has published several high-impact papers in the field of
neuromuscular research during his distinguished career as an academic
scientist. He won the International Research Fellowship Award from
the US National Institutes of Health and has received a long-term
fellowship from the Human Frontier Science Foundation.
About the Läggerli
"Läggerli" is the name of a traditional treat - a bio product - that
has been produced in Basel, Switzerland, since the Middle Ages. It is
believed that the hard biscuits were originally created by local
spice merchants over 700 years ago. Its name derives from lecker
meaning delicious in German. Läggerli are made of honey, almonds,
candied peel, and Kirsch, a distilled fermented juice of small black
cherry. Locals enjoy Läggerli all year round and serve the specialty
on any occasions.
* * *
About Santhera
Santhera Pharmaceuticals (SWX: SANN) is a Swiss specialty
pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and
marketing of small-molecule pharmaceutical products for the treatment
of severe neuromuscular diseases. Santhera's vision is to become a
leading specialty pharmaceutical company offering therapies for a
number of indications in this area of high unmet medical need which
includes many orphan indications with no current therapy.
Santhera currently has five clinical-stage development programs,
three of which are investigating its lead compound, SNT-MC17 (INN:
idebenone), for the treatment of Friedreich's Ataxia (FRDA), Duchenne
Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy
(LHON). Another clinical program is investigating JP-1730 (INN:
fipamezole) for the treatment of Dyskinesia in Parkinson's Disease
(DPD) in cooperation with Juvantia, the compound's owner. The fifth
program comprises SNT-317 (INN: omigapil) in Congenital Muscular
Dystrophies (CMD), a compound in-licensed from Novartis. The most
advanced program, SNT-MC17 in FRDA, is currently under review for
marketing approval in Europe and will be submitted shortly in Canada.
The compound is also in Phase III clinical development for FRDA in
the US while the other clinical programs are in Phase II. For further
information, please visit www.santhera.com.
About BioValley
BioValley Basel is a non-profit organization with members from
industry, academia and services. BioValley Basel fosters
communication and networking among its members and representatives
from science, economy, politics and the general public regarding Life
Sciences. BioValley Basel organizes quarterly events with a Life
Sciences subject and the annual "Life Sciences Week" in Basel. For
more information about BioValley Basel, please visit the
www.biovalley.ch web site.
For further information, contact
Santhera Pharmaceuticals
Thomas Staffelbach, VP Public & Investor Relations
Phone: +41 (0)61 906 89 47
thomas.staffelbach@santhera.com
BioValley Basel
Dr Christian Suter, President
Phone: +41 (0)61 302 49 47
christian.suter@suterscience.com
Disclaimer/Forward-looking statements
This news release is not and under no circumstances to be construed
as a solicitation, offer, or recommendation, to buy or sell
securities issued by Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG. Santhera
Pharmaceuticals Holding AG makes no representation (either express or
implied) that the information and opinions expressed in this news
release are accurate, complete or up to date. Santhera
Pharmaceuticals Holding AG disclaims, without limitation, all
liability for any loss or damage of any kind, including any direct,
indirect or consequential damages, which might be incurred in
connection with the information contained in this news release.
This news release expressly or implicitly contains certain
forward-looking statements concerning Santhera Pharmaceuticals
Holding AG and its business. Certain of these forward-looking
statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking
terminology such as "believe", "expect", "may", "are expected to",
"will", "will continue", "should", "would be", "seek" or "anticipate"
or by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions. Such statements
involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition,
performance or achievements of Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG to
be materially different from any expected results, performance or
achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
There can be no guarantee that any of the research and/or development
projects described will succeed or that any new products or
indications will be brought to market. Similarly, there can be no
guarantee that Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG or any future
product or indication will achieve any particular level of revenue.
In particular, management's expectations could be affected by, among
other things, uncertainties involved in the development of new
pharmaceutical products, including unexpected preclinical and
clinical trial results; unexpected regulatory actions or delays or
government regulation generally; the Company's ability to obtain or
maintain patent or other proprietary intellectual property
protection; competition in general; government, industry, and general
public pricing and other political pressures. Santhera
Pharmaceuticals Holding AG is providing the information in this new
release as of the date of the publication, and does not undertake any
obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained herein
as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
--- End of Message ---
Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG
Hammerstrasse 47 Liestal
Switzerland
WKN: A0LCUK; ISIN: CH0027148649; Index: SPI, SPIEX, SSCI;
Listed:
Main Market in SWX Swiss Exchange;
