BERLIN and SEATTLE, Jan. 16, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Epigenomics AG (Frankfurt:ECX) today announced that its Supervisory Board has unanimously decided to appoint Geert Walther Nygaard as the company's new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Nygaard, 46, a Danish citizen, will enter his new position effective February 1, 2007.
Nygaard has a distinguished career in the global Diagnostics industry. He joins Epigenomics from a position as Managing Director and member of the Management Board of pharmaceutical and diagnostics company Abbott GmbH & Co. KG in Wiesbaden, Germany, where he held the commercial responsibility for the Diagnostic Division.
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Nygaard started his career in Denmark, working for Diagnostics companies Beckman Instruments and Dako A/S in national and international positions. He joined Abbott in 1999 as the company's Country Manager in Denmark from a position as Managing Director of Dako AG in Switzerland. He then moved on into positions with increasing responsibilities, including business development and marketing for Abbott Diagnostics in Europe.
"We are proud to have Geert Walther Nygaard on board. Epigenomics will broadly profit from his leadership and expertise, now that the company moves into a challenging phase of commercializing its high potential products and identifying new diagnostics industry partners," said Prof. Dr. Rolf Krebs, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Epigenomics.
"I am delighted to join the Epigenomics leadership team to identify and realize value for our customers and shareholders. I am convinced that Epigenomics superior technology is ideally positioned to fill the large unmet need for early cancer diagnosis. I am impressed with the quality of the organization, and I am looking forward to working with highly committed people in an area where we can bring real medical benefit to doctors and patients," stated Nygaard.
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Pictures of Geert Walther Nygaard can be obtained from Epigenomics' website at http://www.epigenomics.com/en/down_loads/photography/
About Epigenomics AG
Epigenomics is a molecular diagnostic company with a focus on the development of novel products for cancer. Using DNA methylation markers, Epigenomics' tests can potentially diagnose disease at an early stage and help guide physicians to select an appropriate therapy. Epigenomics' defined business strategy covers two complementary core business areas:
In cooperation with industry partners, the company develops diagnostic screening tests for the early detection of cancer, representing mass market products with huge potentials. Based on easily obtainable body fluid samples (e.g. blood and urine), these tests are aimed at finding cancer at an early stage before symptoms occur. Epigenomics' product pipeline contains an extensively validated biomarker panel for the early detection of colorectal cancer in blood plasma, and further proprietary DNA methylation biomarkers at various stages of development for prostate, breast and lung cancer detection in body fluids. Epigenomics offers these programs as attractive partnering opportunities for global development, marketing and sales in the fast growing cancer molecular diagnostics market.
As a second core business area, Epigenomics develops tissue-based prognostic tests for prostate and breast cancer patients. With a strong focus on prostate cancer applications, these tests are developed in strategic partnerships with Qiagen (pre-analytics) and Affymetrix (diagnostic device platform). In this area Epigenomics retains the flexibility to decide on potential partnerships for marketing and sales
Pharma, diagnostics and biotech partners can access Epigenomics' portfolio of proprietary DNA methylation technologies protected by more than 200 patent families through Biomarker Services, IVD Development Collaborations, and Licensing. The company is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, and has a wholly owned subsidiary in Seattle, WA, USA. For more information, please visit Epigenomics' website at www.epigenomics.com.
Disclaimer
This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning Epigenomics AG and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of Epigenomics AG to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Epigenomics AG is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.