PALO ALTO, Calif., May 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Affymax, Inc., a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, today announced the appointment of John P. Walker to the Company’s board of directors representing Apax Partners, which is Affymax’s largest investor. Mr. Walker currently serves as chairman of the boards of directors of Renovis, KAI Pharmaceuticals, Guava Technologies, and Saegis Pharmaceuticals. He serves on the boards of directors for Geron and several privately-held biotechnology companies.
“John Walker is a biotechnology industry veteran with more than 30 years of experience in the healthcare and biopharmaceutical industries,” said Arlene M. Morris, president and chief executive officer of Affymax. “His experience serving as a CEO and managing and building biotechnology companies will be invaluable in helping us advance our lead product candidate Hematide(TM) through clinical development and, if successful, into commercialization for the treatment of anemia.”
During his career, Mr. Walker has served as CEO or interim CEO of a number of companies, including chairman and CEO of Bayhill Therapeutics; interim CEO of KAI Pharmaceuticals; interim CEO of Guava Technologies; and chairman and interim CEO of Centaur Pharmaceuticals, Inc. From 1993 to 2001, he was chairman, CEO, and a director of Axys Pharmaceuticals Inc. and its predecessor company Arris Pharmaceutical Corporation. Before his association with Arris, he was the chairman and CEO of Vitaphore Corporation, a biomaterials company that was sold to Union Carbide Chemical and Plastics Company Inc. His other experience includes serving as a venture partner with Morgan Stanley Venture Partners and as an investment advisor to MDS Capital Corporation. Mr. Walker began his career with American Hospital Supply Corporation, where he served in a variety of general management, sales, and marketing positions, most recently serving as president of the American Hospital Company.
He received a B.A. in history from the State University of New York at Buffalo and is a graduate of the Advanced Executive Program, J. L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.
About Affymax
Affymax, Inc. is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company that is developing a pipeline of synthetic peptide-based drugs against clinically validated targets for the treatment of kidney diseases and cancer. Hematide(TM), the Company’s first product candidate to enter the clinic, is a novel peptide-based drug designed to stimulate the production of red blood cells. It is in Phase 2 trials for the treatment of anemia associated with chronic kidney disease and cancer. For more information go to www.affymax.com.
Affymax, Inc.
CONTACT: Mary Fermi, Senior Director, Commercial Development of Affymax,Inc., +1-650-812-8722, or www.affymax.com; or media, Jani Bergan ofWeissComm Partners, +1-415-946-1064, or jbergan@weisscommpartners.com, forAffymax, Inc.
