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EKR Therapeutics Appoints Dr.
Tong Zhang as Director of Business Development, Further Positioning
the Company for Long-term Growth
Cedar Knolls, N.J., July 25, 2007 –
EKR Therapeutics, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company focused
on identifying, acquiring, and commercializing supportive care
prescription products to enhance the quality-of-life for cancer
patients, today announced the appointment of Tong Zhang, Ph.D. to
the newly created position of Director of Business Development.
In this capacity, Dr. Zhang’s responsibilities include sourcing,
evaluating and managing licensing and alliance deals, as well as
interfacing with prospective investors to facilitate financing
activities in support of the Company’s strategy for sustained
long-term growth. That strategy centers on pursuing opportunities to
leverage EKR’s commercial organization through the expansion of its
product portfolio, strategic partnerships, and the acquisition of
late-stage development drugs addressing unmet medical needs in its
specialty market space.
“We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Zhang to our management team,”
said Howard Weisman, EKR’s Chairman and CEO. “Tong possesses
extensive pharmaceutical experience with proven expertise in
strategic planning and corporate development, important resources
for maintaining and building upon the momentum behind the successful
execution of our business plan.” He concluded, saying, “Tong has hit
the ground running and is already actively engaged in managing new
business prospects currently under consideration at EKR.”
Dr. Zhang noted, “The EKR management team uniquely combines an
exceptional level of pharmaceutical business expertise with an
energetic, entrepreneurial drive for success which is exemplified by
EKR’s commercialization of Gelclair®.” An FDA cleared product,
Gelclair is indicated for the management of pain associated with
oral lesions of various etiologies, including chemotherapy and
radiation induced oral mucositis/stomatitis.
“The fact that EKR completed the acquisition of North American
rights to its first product, Gelclair, and was able to deploy its
own sales force and launch that product in the U.S., all within the
second half of 2006, greatly impressed me,” said Dr. Zhang. “I am
excited about joining this dynamic team and look forward to
contributing to EKR’s continued growth.
Dr. Zhang brings to EKR a wealth of pertinent expertise which
encompasses more than a decade of experience in scientific research,
consulting, and investment banking. During the course of his career,
Tong has assessed hundreds of marketed and pipeline products and
facilitated business development in several high-value licensing
deals. Prior to joining EKR Therapeutics, he was a Director for ESP
Equity Partners, LLC, a private investment company engaged in
acquiring pharmaceutical and medical assets. Previously he served as
a pharmaceutical analyst for the Credit Suisse Group and as a
consultant for ISO HealthCare Consulting and Defined Health, leading
strategic consulting firms.
Dr. Zhang received his Ph.D. in Biology from Columbia University and
a B.S. degree in Biology from Wuhan University in China. He also
performed post-doctoral research at Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in
New York.
About EKR Therapeutics
Founded by experienced healthcare and business executives, EKR
Therapeutics is a privately held specialty pharmaceutical company
that has brought together a highly seasoned team of industry
professionals dedicated to providing prescription products and
therapeutic solutions to support and enhance the quality-of-life of
cancer patients.
As new and increasingly effective oncology therapies emerge, more
patients survive cancer. However, treatment side-effects can be
severe, painful and debilitating, thus, creating an important need
for supportive care products. EKR is committed to addressing this
largely unmet medical need and is dedicated to collaborating with
acute-care facilities, cancer centers and the full scope of
healthcare practitioners in helping patients adhere to their primary
cancer therapies through the use of supportive care products to
prevent, reduce, or manage the adverse side effects of cancer
therapies. EKR, which currently markets Gelclair® for the management
of pain associated with chemotherapy and radiation induced oral
mucositis/stomatitis, intends to identify, acquire, and market
approved products and build a pipeline of new product candidates. By
focusing on acquiring and maximizing the potential utility of both
approved and late-stage development products that might not
otherwise reach the market or obtain their full therapeutic value,
EKR’s goal is pre-eminence within the acute-care market as a
provider of oncology supportive care and related specialty products,
backed by a commitment to excellence in customer service.
For additional information about EKR visit http://www.ekrtx.com.
Full prescribing information for Gelclair may be obtained at http://www.gelclair.com
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Contact for EKR Therapeutics
Stuart Z. Levine, Ph.D.
Corporate Communications
877-435-2524
s.levine@ekrtx.com
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