GLOSTRUP, DENMARK -- 08/28/08 --
Copenhagen, 28 August 2008
Announcement no. 2, 2008
Today Zealand Pharma announced that Dr. David H Solomon has been
appointed Chief Executive Officer.
"We are delighted to have David as the new Chief Executive Officer.
He brings more than 20 years of experience in medical research,
healthcare investing and key biopharmaceutical and medical device
operating roles," said Dr. Daan Ellens, Chairman of Zealand Pharma
A/S. "His senior management experience, commercial and clinical
development knowledge and investing background will be extremely
valuable to the organization as the company moves forward."
Dr. Solomon has extensive experience in pharmacology research, having
served as a faculty member at Columbia University's College of
Physicians and Surgeons in New York, NY as well as leadership
positions at several biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device
companies, including Remedy Pharmaceuticals and Critical Diagnostics,
both in New York. From 2003-2006, Dr. Solomon led healthcare
investing at Carrot Capital Healthcare Ventures. Most recently, Dr.
Solomon served as Chief Operating Officer of Vital Sensors, Inc.
Dr. Solomon studied medicine and received his doctorate at Cornell
University Medical College and the Sloan-Kettering division of its
Graduate School of Medical Sciences, in New York City.
Dr. Solomon succeeds Interim CEO Mogens Vang Rasmussen who will
continue in his role as CFO.
"I'm very excited about the future for Zealand Pharma," said Dr.
Solomon. "We have a rapidly developing pipeline, strong, maturing
partnerships and an entrepreneurial spirit and commitment at the
company. I look forward to contributing to the company's growth and
success in the upcoming years"
Zealand's most advanced project, AVE0010/ZP10, for the normalization
of elevated blood sugar in type 2 diabetics has been out licensed to
Sanofi-Aventis. In September 2007 Sanofi-Aventis published promising
results from a double blind, placebo-controlled Phase IIb study.
Phase III clinical studies commenced in May 2008 and submission of
IND/MAA is expected to be filed in 2010.
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Further information
Zealand Pharma A/S, Smedeland 36, DK-2600 Glostrup, Denmark
T: +45 4328 1200 F: +45 4328 1212
E: info@zp.dk www.zp.com
About Zealand Pharma
Zealand Pharma is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the
discovery and development of innovative peptide-based drugs. Zealand
is one of the leaders within the peptide area, a growing market with
significant drug development activities including treatment of
metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. All of Zealand's products
target diseases and symptoms of significant unmet clinical need and
commercial potential.
Since 1999, Zealand's scientists have built a pipeline that includes
five compounds in clinical development, two of which have been out
licensed to major pharmaceutical companies (Wyeth and
Sanofi-Aventis). All Zealand's compounds emerge from Zealand's own
drug discovery.
* AVE0010/ZP10, a pharmaceutical agent for the treatment of Type 2
Diabetes, has been out-licensed to Sanofi-Aventis, which is the
worlds third largest pharmaceutical corporation with a strong
diabetes franchise.
* ZP120 is an ORL-1 receptor agonist. Zealand has all the rights to
the drug, which is currently in Phase II clinical development.
* GAP-134/ZP1609; a gap junction modifier that prevents both
ventricular and atrial arrhythmias in animal models. With its
oral formulation, the molecule represents a novel paradigm for
the potential chronic prevention of cardiac arrhythmias. US based
pharmaceutical giant Wyeth Pharmaceutical is currently conducting
Phase I trials in the US.
* ZP1846 is an innovative treatment for prevention of
chemotherapy-induced diarrhea, which may prevent discontinuation
and dose modification during cancer chemotherapy. Zealand has all
the rights to the drug, and the Company has finalized clinical
Phase I trials in the US.
* ZP1848 is a novel paradigm for the treatment of Inflammatory
Bowel Diseases (e.g. Crohn's Disease). The compound is in late
preclinical development.
In addition, Zealand has a rich and broad portfolio of pre-clinical
projects targeting a variety of disease areas, including osteoporosis
and obesity-related diabetes.
Zealand Pharma is based in Copenhagen and has approximately 65
employees.
The Company's investors include BankInvest Biomedical Venture, LD
Pensions, Dansk Erhvervsinvestering and Sunstone Capital as well as
the leading international biotech investors CDC Innovation and AGF
Private Equity (both in Paris) and LSP (Amsterdam).
Copyright © Hugin AS 2008. All rights reserved.