CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 4, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:MNTA), a biotechnology company specializing in the characterization and engineering of complex drugs, today announced that James M. Roach, M.D., has been appointed as the Company's new Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Development.
Craig A. Wheeler, CEO of Momenta, commented, "We are delighted to have Jim join our executive team. He brings more than 20 years of clinical and research experience to Momenta, and his clinical expertise and leadership experience will be invaluable as we direct the development of M118, our novel anti-coagulant currently in Phase II clinical trials, and advance our potential clinical candidate in Oncology. Jim will also play a key strategic leadership role as we continue to build our follow-on biologics product portfolio."
Prior to joining Momenta, Dr. Roach was Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs, at Sepracor Inc. He previously held senior management positions at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., LeukoSite, Inc., and Astra USA, Inc. and has extensive clinical research experience in both biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies spanning multiple therapeutic areas. Dr. Roach is board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease, and Critical Care Medicine and is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and an Associate Physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dr. Roach received his bachelor's degree majoring in biology and philosophy from the College of the Holy Cross and received his medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
"I am very excited to be joining such a dynamic and diversified biotechnology company," said Dr. Roach. "With its innovative technology platform being leveraged across an array of potential new products, Momenta provides a unique opportunity to contribute to the development of novel therapeutics, as well as to the successful advancement of a science-based pathway for approval of complex generic and follow-on biologic products."
About Momenta
Momenta Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company specializing in the detailed structural analysis of complex mixture drugs. Momenta is applying its technology to the development of generic versions of complex drug products, as well as to the discovery and development of novel drugs. Momenta was founded in 2001 based on technology initially developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is headquartered in Cambridge, MA. To receive additional information about Momenta, please visit the website at www.momentapharma.com, which does not form a part of this press release.