DALLAS and NEW YORK, Oct. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- PlasmaTech Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCBB: ACCPD), a biopharmaceutical company advancing patient care in critical areas, announced the appointment of leading experts to its newly formed scientific advisory board (“SAB”). The appointed SAB will serve as a strategic resource to the company as it continues to develop and commercialize its proprietary plasma fractionation platform, Salt Diafiltration Process (“SDF”).
“Together with our team, the PlasmaTech Bio SAB will implement and provide valuable guidance as we advance our development in proprietary plasma-derived therapeutics,” stated Scott Schorer, newly appointed CEO of PlasmaTech Biopharmaceuticals. He continued, “It is a pleasure to welcome these highly regarded thought leaders to the PlasmaTech Bio team. Each advisor brings a rich diversity of experience and expertise in the plasma biosimilars space, and we look forward to their invaluable contributions and insights as we develop our proprietary plasma technology.”
The inaugural members of the scientific advisory board include:
- Eugene J. Zurlo, B.S. (Pharmacy), M.S.: Appointed Chairman of the SAB, Zurlo, the inventor of PlasmaTech’s fractionation process, was an executive of Baxter Laboratories, including five years as Sr. Vice-President of its Hyland Division, where he had responsibility for fractionation operations, including development of the process for producing the first commercial AHF concentrate (Hemofil). Subsequently he was Sr. Vice-President of Millipore Corporation, (which developed diafiltration and nanofiltration) and Chief Operating Officer of the New York Blood Center, Inc., when he led the development and licensing of the Solvent-Detergent Method for inactivating lipid-enveloped viruses. He then founded Alpine Biologics Inc., which sourced Recovered Plasma for the Central Laboratory of the Swiss Red Cross and Octapharma Inc. and in return marketed their plasma biologics in the United States. Mr. Zurlo, who is listed on 5 patents as an inventor, is the lead inventor of the Plasma Technologies plasma process technology.
- Charles H. Heldebrant, Ph.D.: Dr. Heldebrant is the Chief Scientific Officer of PSC Biotech. He has accumulated experience in over 28 years of increasingly responsible and varied positions at Alpha Therapeutic Corporation, successively owned by Abbott, Green Cross, and now Grifols, where he oversaw the development, FDA licensing, and production of the company’s alpha-1 antitrypsin (“AAT”) product which was eventually sold to Baxter. Subsequently he was with National Genetics Institute/LabCorp for over four years. He has extensive experience in biological and pharmaceutical product development, regulatory affairs, quality systems, process design, equipment and process validation, analytical methods validation, and computer validation. Dr. Heldebrant holds 14 patents and is the author or co-author of 31 scientific/technical papers and over 40 extracts.
- Allan Louderback, Ph.D.: Dr. Louderback was head of Biochemical Research at the Hyland Division of Baxter Laboratories Inc., and was founder/president of Clinical Chemistry Consultants, Inc, which performed product development work for numerous companies including Baxter, Dade Diagnostics, Amgen, Biogen, Nichols Institute, Technicon, and the New York Blood Center. Dr. Louderback and his laboratories developed advanced capabilities in whole blood and serum preservation, inactivation of viruses, development of standardization and control products for clinical laboratories, and processes for the extraction of plasma proteins. Dr. Louderback, who has 39 publications and is listed on 44 patents, is a co-inventor of the Plasma Technologies plasma process technology.
Gene Zurlo, newly appointed Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board, commented, “This is an exciting time for PlasmaTech Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., with its many promising commercial opportunities that the Company has in its sights. Given the recent significant increase in demand for plasma-derived therapeutics, I am excited to join a team that is focused on combining a novel high-yield plasma fractionation process with existing company expertise to drive commercialization of high-quality therapeutics. I look forward to being a part of the company’s success.”
The global market for drugs derived from human blood plasma fractionation is greater than US$15 billion currently, and growing at a rate close to 10% annually. Despite this significant market opportunity, little innovation in fractionation technology has occurred in decades. PlasmaTech Bio has developed and patented a new extraction process for plasma biologics that fundamentally changes the economics of blood plasma fractionation, and makes the extraction of several additional therapeutically useful plasma proteins possible.
About PlasmaTech Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.
Formerly Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc., PlasmaTech Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on advancing targeted treatments for significant unmet patient care needs. Exploiting two distinct proprietary platforms, Salt Diafiltration (SDF) Process and Polymer Hydrogel Technology (PHT), PlasmaTech Bio is active in the development and commercialization of plasma-derived therapeutics and cancer supportive care products. The company has a robust product pipeline that includes two commercial stage products, MuGard® and ProctiGard, with multiple follow-on products in development. For more information visit, www.plasmatechbio.com.
This press release contains certain statements that are forward-looking within the meaning of Section 27a of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements include those relating to: our cash burn rate, clinical trial plans and timelines and clinical results for MuGard and ProctiGard, our ability to achieve clinical and commercial success and our ability to successfully develop marketed products. These statements are subject to numerous risks, including but not limited to PlasmaTech’s need to obtain additional financing in order to continue the clinical trial and operations and to the risks detailed in PlasmaTech’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K and other reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Company and Media Contact:
Christine Berni
Vice President, Corporate Development
PlasmaTech Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.
(212) 786-6208
SOURCE PlasmaTech Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.
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