Neurodon Corporation (https://www.neurodon.net), a pharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of disease-modifying therapeutics for diabetes and neurodegeneration, announced today the appointment of distinguished pharmaceutical industry veteran John Amatruda, M.D. to its Scientific Advisory Board. John has a long history in medicine and pharma, including Bayer and Merck & Co, where he was SVP and Franchise Head for Diabetes and Obesity. Under his leadership, the blockbuster drugs Vytorin™, Januvia™, and Janumet™, were approved.
“John’s expertise in end-to-end drug development, especially for diabetes, will be invaluable as we progress our lead candidates into IND and clinical stages,” said Dr. Russell Dahl, Neurodon’s CEO. “John has a deep knowledge of working with regulatory agencies that will help us get to FIH studies in an expeditious manner. His expertise complements our current Scientific Advisory Board of world class scientists by bringing in global clinical approval experience that is critically important at our current stage of growth.”
Dr. Amatruda joins a Board of internationally recognized experts and pioneers in the field of Ca2+ handling and its implications in major, unmet diseases. His clinical expertise will provide an invaluable contribution to progress Neurodon’s lead pipeline compounds into the clinic. This addition also strengthens Neurodon’s position as the leader in the clinical translation of ER stress-based therapeutics to cure diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.
The Full Neurodon Scientific Advisory Board:
D. James Surmeier, Ph.D., Professor, Northwestern University. Professor Surmeier is the Nathan Smith Davis Chair of the Department of Physiology. He has many notable discoveries in relation to the roles of Ca2+in the pathology of Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases. His discoveries have paved the way for many therapeutic strategies.
Seth L. Robia, Ph.D., Professor, Loyola University Chicago. Professor Robia also directs the Cardiovascular Research Institute at the Stritch School of Medicine. Dr. Robia is one of the world’s foremost experts in the study of intracellular Ca2+ transport and membrane protein biophysics. He has uncovered many novel mechanisms that contribute to pathogenesis.
Ilya Bezprozvanny, Ph.D., Professor, UT Southwestern. Professor Bezprozvanny is the Carl J. and Hortense M. Thomsen Chair in Alzheimer’s Disease Research at UTSW. He is one of the world’s leading experts in Ca2+ signaling and its relevance in diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s. His lab has pioneered many unique ways to profile drug candidates for these diseases.
John Armatruda, M.D., Former Head of Diabetes and Obesity, Merck & Co. Dr. Amatruda has over 25 years of experience as a senior pharmaceutical research executive and consultant, and over 40 years of experience in medicine. He sits on the boards of several leading biotech companies. As Senior Vice President and Franchise Head for Diabetes and Obesity at Merck Research Laboratories until 2009, his teams generated the blockbuster drugs Vytorin™, Januvia™, and Janumet™.
About Neurodon
Neurodon is a development-stage pharmaceutical company dedicated to finding disease-modifying drugs for diabetes, neurodegeneration, and other life-threatening diseases. Neurodon deploys its proprietary ER stress-based technology platform to discover compounds that can reduce the cellular dysfunction that is the root cause of these diseases. The company’s pipeline includes therapies for diabetes and neurodegeneration that are slated to enter IND-enabling studies in the coming months. For more information, visit www.neurodon.net.
Forward-Looking Statements
This information release contains forward-looking statements (statements that are not facts) within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This includes statements regarding Neurodon’s plans and timing for its drug candidate development programs, including IND-enabling activities and clinical trials, and statements regarding potential clinical efficacy and likelihood for approval. These forward-looking statements are based on current projections that involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could result in different outcomes than those anticipated. You are cautioned that such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that our actual results may differ materially from those set forth in these forward-looking statements.
