DGAP-News: Neovacs S.A. / Key word(s): Change of Personnel
NEOVACS STRENGTHENS SCIENTIFIC LEADERSHIP THROUGH EXECUTIVE
APPOINTMENTS
11.03.2015 / 08:00
---------------------------------------------------------------------
PRESS RELEASE
NEOVACS STRENGTHENS SCIENTIFIC LEADERSHIP THROUGH EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS
Therese Croughs, M.D., named Chief Medical Officer
Géraldine Grouard-Vogel, Pharm.D., Ph.D., appointed Chief Scientific
Officer
Paris, March 11, 2015 - NEOVACS (Alternext Paris : ALNEV - FR0004032746), a
leader in active immunotherapies for the treatment of autoimmune diseases,
today announced the enhancement of its scientific leadership team with the
appointment of Therese Croughs, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer, effective
immediately. Dr. Croughs replaces Pierre Vandepapeliere who is leaving the
Company to pursue other opportunities. Additionally, Géraldine
Grouard-Vogel, Pharm.D., Ph.D., has been promoted from Head of Research and
Preclinical Development to Chief Scientific Officer.
Jean-Jacques Bertrand, Chairman of Neovacs, commented, "We are proud to
welcome Therese to the Neovacs team. Her expertise in immunology and
oncology, and extensive experience in defining worldwide clinical
development programs for immunotherapies and biologics will be instrumental
for Neovacs at such a critical time in our clinical development. We plan to
launch two clinical trials in lupus with IFNα-Kinoid in the coming months,
and we are preparing to initiate the development of IFNα-Kinoid in
dermatomyositis, with every intention of a rapid entry into the clinic."
"Therese will be supported in this effort by Géraldine Grouard-Vogel, our
new Chief Scientific Officer, who has been a cornerstone of our R&D
initiatives for the last 10 years. I am particularly pleased to see her
take an even greater strategic role within our company, and have the utmost
faith that she will thrive in this new position. We thank Pierre for his
dedication to the Company and his contributions to strengthening Neovacs'
scientific capabilities over the last seven years. We wish him the best in
his future endeavors," Bertrand said.
Dr. Croughs brings more than 20 years of drug development and regulatory
affairs experience to the CMO position at Neovacs. Her experience includes
work with companies of a variety of sizes in various stages of clinical
development in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries across
Europe, North America and Asia. Dr. Croughs will lead the clinical
development programs for IFNα-Kinoid in lupus and dermatomyositis, while
and preparing for the launch of the VEGF-Kinoid development program.
Dr. Croughs began her career in the pharmaceutical industry at Bayer, where
she worked on the design, implementation and oversight of clinical trials
and product registrations, notably r-FVIII for haemophiliac patients. After
10 years at Bayer, she joined Novo Nordisk where she served as
international medical adviser for EU clinical developments of r-FVIIa in
severe haemorrhages. Dr.Croughs entered the biotechnology industry in 2004
as the Director of the Adhesive Technology and New Projects Business Units
of BioAlliance Pharma. Prior to joining Neovacs, Dr. Croughs was Chief
Medical Officer at Cytheris for over six years, where she notably defined
the R&D strategy for the worldwide development plan of Cytheris'
immunotherapy program r-hIL-7 (growth factor for the immune system). Dr.
Croughs has a medical degree from the Catholic University of Louvain,
Brussels, Belgium.
Géraldine Grouard-Vogel, Pharm.D., Ph.D., who is currently the Director of
R&D and preclinical development, has been promoted to the role of Chief
Scientific Officer of Neovacs. Dr. Grouard-Vogel's new role as CSO, will
allow her to oversee all scientific developments for Neovacs and play a
greater role in promoting Neovacs' preclinical and clinical portfolio
candidates.
Dr. Grouard-Vogel joined Neovacs in 2005 and has more than 12 years of
pharmaceutical development experience in the U.S. She previously worked at
Sanofi-Pasteur USA in bacterial vaccine development. Prior to entering the
biotechnology industry, Dr. Grouard-Vogel worked at the Walter Reed Army
Institute of Research on dengue vaccine development[1] and at Seattle
University studying HIV-dendritic cells interactions. She holds a Degree in
Pharmacy from Angers University (France) and a Ph.D. in immunology -
conducted with Pr. Jacques Banchereau at Schering-Plough Lyon (France). Dr.
Grouard-Vogel has authored several scientific publications in peer-reviewed
journals and patents. She discovered the plasmacytoid dendritic cell[2] and
demonstrated the presence of dendritic cells in germinal center[3]and
dendritic cells as the first target for dengue virus[1]. She has also
authored several patents regarding the Kinoid technology.
[1] Nature medicine 2000
[2] Grouard et al., Journal of experimental medicine, 1997
[3] Grouard, Nature, 1996
About Neovacs
Created in 1993, Neovacs is today a leading biotechnology company focused
on an active immunotherapy technology platform (Kinoids) with applications
in autoimmune and/or inflammatory diseases. On the basis of the company's
proprietary technology for inducing a polyclonal immune response (covered
by five patent families that potentially run until 2032) Neovacs is
focusing its clinical development efforts on IFNα-Kinoid, an immunotherapy
being developed for the indication of lupus. Neovacs is also conducting
preclinical development works on other therapeutic vaccines in the fields
of auto-immune diseases, oncology and allergies. The goal of the Kinoid
approach is to enable patients to have access to safe treatments with
efficacy that is sustained in these life-long diseases.
For more information on Neovacs, please visit www.neovacs.fr
Contacts
NEOVACS - Investor Relations
Nathalie Trépo
+33 (0)1 53 10 93 00
ntrepo@neovacs.com
Investor Relations / Financial Communications - NewCap
Valentine Brouchot / Pierre Laurent
+33 (0)1 44 71 94 94
theradiag@newcap.fr
Investor Relations / Financial Communications Germany - MC Services
Raimund Gabriel
+49-89-210228-30
raimund.Gabriel@mc-services.eu
Press / U.S. Inquiries - The Ruth Group
Melanie Sollid-Penton
1.646.536.7023
msollid@theruthgroup.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------
11.03.2015 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a
service of EQS Group AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements,
Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.
Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Language: English
Company: Neovacs S.A.
3-5, Impasse Reille
75014 Paris
France
Phone: +33 (0)1 53 10 93 00
Fax: +33 (0)1 53 10 93 03
E-mail: www.neovacs.fr
Internet: info@neovacs.fr
ISIN: FR0004032746
WKN: A1CVKR
Listed: Regulated Unofficial Market in Stuttgart; Open Market in
Frankfurt
End of News DGAP News-Service
---------------------------------------------------------------------
331839 11.03.2015
DGAP-News: NEOVACS STRENGTHENS SCIENTIFIC LEADERSHIP THROUGH EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS
| Quelle: EQS Group AG