XERION PHARMACEUTICALS appointed anil singhal, Ph.D.,

as chief DRUG development officer (CDO)

 

-- Key position filled to expand Xerion’s drug development competence --

 

Martinsried, Germany, and Cambridge, MA, USA, May 13, 2003 – Xerion Pharmaceuticals today announced the appointment of Anil Singhal, Ph.D., to the position of Chief Drug Development Officer. Dr. Singhal will be based at Xerion Pharmaceuticals Inc. in Cambridge, MA, U.S.A., and be responsible for implementing all aspects of the Company’s pre-clinical and clinical programs for development of therapeutics in cancer and cardiovascular disease. Dr. Singhal has worked in the biotechnology industry for 19 years and brings to Xerion a broad experience in designing and implementing pre-clinical and clinical studies, GMP manufacturing, and regulatory submissions in the field of oncology. Previously, he was Vice President at Light Sciences Corp. and Pacific Pharmaceuticals Inc., where he led various oncology programs through pre-clinical and clinical stages of development.   

 

“I am delighted to join the highly motivated Xerion team at this challenging stage. This gives me the opportunity to fully contribute my experience and knowledge to further develop therapeutic products from the multiple promising targets that have already been identified and characterized by Xerion,” said Dr. Singhal. And Markus Ewert, Chief Executive Officer of Xerion, added: “It is of utmost strategic importance that we establish a solid drug development expertise, and Anil is the perfect match to head our drug development activities. We are excited to have Anil on our team and are convinced that he will contribute significantly in advancement of our therapeutic antibody pipeline and towards building value in Xerion.”

 

About Xerion Pharmaceuticals

Xerion Pharmaceuticals is building a pipeline of novel therapeutic targets and antibodies. To identify targets, the Company uniquely focuses on proteins, using proprietary technologies to selectively block their function in diseased cells thereby mimicking the activity of a drug. Xerion integrates this approach with the ability to rapidly generate therapeutic antibody leads. The Company is developing these targets and antibodies independently and in conjunction with partners with an initial emphasis on cancer and cardiovascular disease. For additional information, please visit our Website at www.xerion-pharma.com.

 

Xerion is headquartered in Martinsried, Germany and its subsidiary Xerion Pharmaceuticals Inc. is based in Cambridge, MA, U.S.A. The Company has license and collaborative agreements with Altana Pharma AG, Arius Research Inc., Cambridge Antibody Technology Ltd., Procorde GmbH, and several research institutes.

 

Tobias Lehmacher

Xerion Pharmaceuticals AG

Fraunhoferstrasse 9 

D-82152 Martinsried (Munich)

Germany

Tel: +49 89 86 307-131

Fax: +49 89 86 307-111

E-mail: t.lehmacher@xerion-pharma.com

Yukari Perrella

Xerion Pharmaceuticals Inc.

One Broadway, Suite 600

Cambridge, MA 02142

USA

Tel: +1 617 621-7123

Fax: +1 617 621-7124

E-mail: y.perrella@xerion-pharma.com