PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 28, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. (AMEX:HEB), a Philadelphia-based biopharmaceutical company engaged in the manufacture and clinical development of new drug entities for treatment of viral and immune-based disorders, today announced that Thomas K. Equels, President and Managing Director of the Miami-based Equels Law Firm, has been elected to its board of directors.
Mr. Equels' legal practice is devoted to litigation, with particular emphasis on civil racketeering, business torts and commercial matters. Prior to his board election, Mr. Equels served as Hemispherx Biopharma's litigation counsel.
For over 25 years, Mr. Equels has represented national and state governments, and companies in the banking, insurance, aviation, pharmaceutical, construction and development industries.
Mr. Equels received his law degree with high honors from Florida State University and is a graduate Summa Cum Laude of Troy State University. He is a member of the Florida Bar, the American Bar Association and the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers.
"We have appreciated Thomas Equels' expertise from a legal perspective, and look forward to his contributions as a member of our board of directors," commented Dr. William A. Carter, Chairman and CEO of Hemispherx. "With our experimental drug Ampligen(r) under review by the FDA as the first and only monotherapy proposed to treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, the right mix of backgrounds and track records on our board constitutes an invaluable asset to the Company."
"I am pleased and honored to be named to the Hemispherx Board of Directors," Mr. Equels said. "I look forward to working with management and the other board members as the Company proceeds with its ambitious development goals."
About The Equels Law Firm
The Equels Law Firm has established itself as one of Florida's most effective and experienced law firms in the areas of complex litigation, government, business torts and personal injury law. The Equels Law Firm attorneys in Miami, Orlando and Tallahassee are known for providing high-quality, timely, efficient and personalized service to its local, national and international clients, whether representing them in either federal and state court or before federal, state or local governments. You can learn more about the Equels Law Firm at www.equelslaw.com or by calling Thomas Equels at (305) 859-7700.
About Hemispherx Biopharma
Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. is a specialty pharma company engaged in the manufacture and clinical development of new drug entities for treatment of seriously debilitating disorders. Hemispherx's flagship products include Alferon N Injection(r) (FDA approved for a category of sexually transmitted diseases) and the experimental therapeutics, Ampligen(r) and Oragens. Ampligen(r) and Oragens represent experimental RNA nucleic acids being developed for globally important debilitating diseases and disorders of the immune system. Hemispherx's platform technology includes large and small agent components for potential treatment of various severely debilitating and life threatening diseases. Hemispherx has in excess of 50 issued patents comprising its core intellectual property estate and a fully commercialized product (Alferon N Injection(r)). The Company wholly owns and exclusively operates a GMP certified manufacturing facility in the United States for commercial products. For more information please visit www.hemispherx.net.
Information contained in this news release other than historical information, should be considered forward-looking and is subject to various risk factors and uncertainties. For instance, the strategies and operations of Hemispherx involve risk of competition, changing market conditions, change in laws and regulations affecting these industries and numerous other factors discussed in this release and in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any specifically referenced investigational drugs and associated technologies of the Company (including Ampligen(r), Alferon LDO and Oragens) are experimental in nature and as such are not designated safe and effective by a regulatory authority for general use and are legally available only through clinical trials with the referenced disorders. The forward-looking statements represent the Company's judgment as of the date of this release. The Company disclaims, however, any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements. Clinical trials for other potential indications of the approved biologic Alferon N Injection(r) do not imply that the product will ever be specifically approved commercially for these other treatment indications; similarly, the completion of the NDA filing process with Ampligen(r) does not imply that the product will ever be approved commercially.