NicOx Completes Expansion of R&D Organization

08-Jul-2005

NicOx S.A. announced it has completed the expansion and strengthening of its Research and Development Department. Maarten Beekman, M.D., has been appointed Vice President of Clinical Development, reporting to the Head of Research and Development, Dr. Ali Raza, and Stefano Biondi has been appointed Director of the Research laboratories, reporting to Ennio Ongini, who has been promoted to Vice President of Research. These hires represent the final step in NicOx' concerted program of reinforcing its existing R&D team, which included the recently announced appointments of Ali Raza and Staffan Strömberg.

Dr. Beekman will be responsible for the management and supervision of NicOx' Clinical Development Department on a global basis. This will involve determining the clinical development strategy for the Company's products and overseeing the implementation of U.S. and European clinical trials, in addition to working with partners on clinical stage collaborations. Dr. Beekman has more than 18 years of experience in clinical development and most recently he was Vice President, France, for i3 Research, which provides services to the pharmaceutical industry, where he had full responsibility for the French operations. Prior to that, Dr. Beekman was Vice President Global Clinical Development at Orion Pharma. Previous to that he held several managerial positions in clinical development at Allergan, Inc., in the U.S. and Europe. Dr. Beekman received his Medical Degree from the State University of Utrecht, in the Netherlands.

NicOx has strengthened its Research Department through the appointment of Stefano Biondi as Director of the Research Laboratories. Dr. Biondi will be responsible for the management of the biology and chemistry research teams. He was most recently Director of Chemistry and Pharmacy at Neuro3d in Mulhouse, France , and worked for 14 years in research at GlaxoSmithKline S.p.A., in Verona, where he was promoted to managing various research projects. Stefano Biondi holds a degree in Chemistry from the University of Bologna.

Dr. Biondi will report to Dr. Ongini, who has been promoted to Vice President of Research. Dr. Ongini will be focused on determining and implementing NicOx' research strategy, including the management of partnered programs. This will be in addition to retaining an overall responsibility for the NicOx Research Center, in Bresso, Italy.

NicOx also announced the appointment of Brigitte Duquesroix M.D., as a Director of Clinical Research, reporting to Maarten Beekman. Dr. Duquesroix will be responsible for the design, planning and implementation of clinical studies for the members of the CINOD class (COX-Inhibiting Nitric Oxide-Donating compounds), including its lead compound HCT 3012. Dr. Duquesroix has more than 15 years of experience in clinical development and joins NicOx from Allergan, where she was Senior Medical Advisor, Europe.

Further appointments to the Clinical Development Department announced are Hayet Frayssinet as Biostatistician and Dr Isabelle Durand as Medical Writer.

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