PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 29, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- David C. U'Prichard, Ph.D. venture partner of Apax Partners Ltd. in the United Kingdom (UK), and president of Druid Consulting LLC, was recently elected to Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania's Board of Directors. Dr. U'Prichard, who will serve through January 2006, brings more than 30 years of experience working in the biochemical, life sciences, and pharmaceutical fields.
"We welcome Dr. U'Prichard to our board. We anticipate that his extensive knowledge and commitment to the growth of the region's bio/pharma and life science industry will make a tremendous impact on our organization," noted RoseAnn B. Rosenthal, president and CEO of BFTP/SEP.
Most recently Dr. U'Prichard served as chief executive officer of 3-Dimensional Pharmaceuticals Inc. (acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 2003), where he oversaw all company and business operations, increasing revenue and promoting company growth. Prior to this he served as president and chairman of R&D at SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals.
In addition to serving on the BFTP/SEP board, Dr. U'Prichard is chairman of the Board of Directors for the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Association. He also serves on numerous company boards including Oxagen, Ltd. in Oxford, UK, Invitrogen Corp. in Carlsbad, CA, Guilford Pharmaceuticals in Baltimore, MD, and Cyclacel Ltd in Dundee, Scotland.
Dr. U'Prichard received both his Ph.D. (Honors), and M.Sc. in Pharmacology from the University of Kansas, and was a postdoctoral fellow with Prof. Solomon Snyder at the Johns Hopkins medical School. He received a B.Sc. degree in Pharmacology from the University of Glasgow, UK.
Since 1982, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP/SEP) has helped grow the region through science, technology and entrepreneurship. BFTP/SEP provides entrepreneurs and established businesses the capital, talent, and expertise they need to compete in the global marketplace. Like its namesake, Ben Franklin invests in, builds upon and delivers solutions that grow communities and create wealth by supporting today's technological ideas and tomorrow's scientific discovery.