Debiopharm S.A. and Tulane Cancer Centre Select Hemenway as the 2003 Mauvernay Research Excellence Scholar

28-Oct-2003

LAUSANNE, Switzerland - Debiopharm S.A. (Debiopharm) announced that Charles Hemenway, associate professor of paediatric haematology/oncology and contributing member of the Tulane Cancer Centre, was honoured with the Mauvernay Research Excellence Award for his outstanding oncology research work presented at the inaugural Mauvernay Research Excellence Seminar. The seminar took place on October 17 at the Tulane Cancer Centre in New Orleans and was the first edition of a series to be held at Tulane University over the next three years. The seminar was organised jointly by Tulane University and Debiopharm with the objective of facilitating an Exchange forum between oncology scientists, clinicians and experts, together with Debiopharm. The company also sponsors the Mauvernay Research Excellence Fund, for the discovery of new therapeutic agents which can be used in cancer treatment. Hemenway presented his work on the Rational Development of an Inhibitor of t(4;11) Leukaemia. His research focuses on two types of leukaemia that are particularly resistant to conventional therapies. They share mutations in a gene which in turn produces a protein, believed to induce cancer in bone marrow cells. Eleven other Tulane faculty researchers also were recognized for their cutting-edge work. These include Matthew E. Burow, Tyler J. Curiel, Erik K. Flemington, Steven M. Hill, Frank E. Jones, Laura S. Levy, Ming Li, Arthur J. Lustig, Gilbert F. Morris, Jess G. Thoene, and Weiping Zou. All the awards were presented to the honourees by Professor Scott Cowen, President of Tulane University and Mr Thierry Mauvernay, Executive Vice President of Debiopharm. In addition to Hemenway and the Tulane faculty poster presenters, invited speakers at the seminar included Carl H. June of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; Michael B. Kastan of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital; Donald P. McDonnell of Duke University Medical Centre; and Donald Small of Johns Hopkins University. "I am very impressed by the quality of research taking place at the Tulane Cancer Centre," said Thierry Mauvernay, Executive Vice President of Debiopharm. "And I am proud that we were able to contribute to research in this field. Our expertise in oncology drug development and the cutting-edge work taking place at the Tulane Cancer Centre will help bring more effective anti-cancer drugs to the market in the near future. We have enjoyed a longstanding relationship with Tulane University and expect it to continue." "I am extremely proud of the quality research being conducted by Tulane scientists who are on the front lines in the battle against cancer," says Roy S. Weiner, director of the Tulane Cancer Centre, who chaired and organized the event. "Each of the honourees is a credit not only to the university but to science."

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