Hemostemix Formalizes World-Class Scientific Advisory Board
CALGARY, Alberta, July 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hemostemix Inc. (“Hemostemix” or the “Company”) (TSX-V:HEM) is pleased to announce the formalization of its Scientific Advisory Board (“SAB”). Members of the SAB are all leaders in their fields of expertise, which span biochemistry, molecular biology, genomics and medicine. The mandate of the Scientific Advisory Board will be to serve as a strategic resource for Hemostemix to advise on research and development initiatives surrounding its stem cell technology product pipeline and the furtherance of Hemostemix’s clinical pipeline and support the Company’s overall mission. Members of the SAB are:
Dr. Alan Lumsden, M.D.
Dr. Alan B. Lumsden, M.D., is the Walter W. Fondren III Chair, Medical Director of the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center and chair of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at Houston Methodist Hospital. He received his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Edinburgh where he graduated at the top of his class. After completing a year-long internship, he moved to Emory University in Atlanta where he completed his surgical residency and vascular training and eventually became the Chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery. In 2002, he joined Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine as Professor and Chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy. He assumed his positions at Houston Methodist Hospital in 2008.
Dr. Lumsden has developed an international reputation as a leader in the field of endovascular surgery. He conducts FDA-mandated training for surgeons nationwide and has received significant funding for his research from the National Institutes of Health. He has contributed more than 200 papers to medical literature.
Houston Methodist Hospital has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top 20 hospitals in the United States, placing it for the second time on the magazine’s prestigious Honor Roll. It is also designated as a Magnet hospital for excellence in nursing.
Dr. Norman Wong, M.D.
Dr. Norman C. W. Wong, B.Sc (Hon), M.Sc, M.D., FRCP(C) is a Co-Founder of Resverlogix Corp. (TSX:RVX), and has been its Chief Scientific Officer since 2003. Dr. Wong serves as Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology as well as the Director of the Libin Gene/Cell Therapy Unit within the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Calgary. Dr. Wong has been associated with the University of Calgary since 1987 and also has held the posts of Associate Vice-President of Research and International and Assistant Dean (Research) Faculty of Medicine.
Dr. Wong specializes in the areas of: Endocrinology, Internal Medicine, Molecular Biology, and Gene/Cell Therapy. His most recent successes have come from elucidating the potential therapeutic opportunities for cardiovascular disease by examining the epigenetic mechanisms underlying this deadly disease. He has been the author and co-author of more than 275 articles and abstracts and has been invited to sit on more than 40 national or international panels and committees. He has also acted as a consultant to several leading pharmaceutical companies, including Eli Lilly, Merck Frost, GlaxoSmithKline, Solvay Pharmaceuticals and Abbott Laboratories. Dr. Wong also previously served as a member of the SAB at Hemostemix. Dr. Wong graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree with honors at the University of Calgary in 1975. He subsequently obtained a Master of Science degree in Medical Biochemistry in 1977 and a Medical Degree in 1980, also from the University of Calgary.
Dr. Kumar L. Hari, PhD
Dr. Hari’s expertise spans chromosome biology, functional genomics, and bioinformatics. Dr. Hari has been the Chief Science Officer at cBio Corp. (“cBio”), a private company that provided infectious disease diagnostics and tracking. At cBio, Dr. Hari led the team in engagements with the FDA, various universities and other US government organization. Prior to working at cBio, he held business development and program management roles at Ibis Biosciences, Inc., and Abbott Molecular, Inc., where his work led directly to the spin-off of cBio. Dr. Hari has been a director of program management efforts at the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine and at the Myelin Repair Foundation. Dr. Hari earned his PhD in Cell Biology from UC San Diego and a B.Sc. in Genetics from UC Davis.
Dr. Hari provided due diligence support when evaluating Hemostemix’s science, therapeutic products and clinical trials. He has already provided invaluable guidance and perspective on Hemostemix’s research and development efforts, as well as clinical development programs.
Hemostemix’s Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Ravi Jain, states, “It is a great pleasure to announce the finalization and launch of our Scientific Advisory Board. We have been able to attract an excellent team of world-class talent from scientific fields that support the development of our stem cell technology, including our newest member, Dr. Lumsden, MD, whose appointment at the Houston Methodist hospital, one of the leading hospitals in the United States, ranks him as one of the leading physicians in his field. We aim to utilize the profound knowledge of these individuals and their vast networks to challenge, support and advise Hemostemix in order to keep us at the leading-edge of product research and development for stem cell technologies.”
Going forward, the SAB will be tasked with providing strategic and scientific counsel in the development of Hemostemix’s lead product, which is in North American Phase II Clinical Trial for critical limb ischemia (CLI), and Hemostemix’s R&D pipeline. In addition, the SAB will guide the scientific vision for the improvement and development of other products based on Hemostemix’s proprietary technology, including applications for cardiovascular, neurological and vascular indications.
ABOUT HEMOSTEMIX INC.
Hemostemix is a publicly traded clinical-stage biotechnology company that develops and commercializes innovative blood-derived cell therapies for medical conditions not adequately addressed by current treatments. It is the first clinical-stage biotech company to test a stem-cell therapy in an international, multicenter, Phase II clinical trial for patients with critical limb ischemia (“CLI”), a severe form of peripheral artery disease (“PAD”) caused by reduced blood flow to the legs. The Phase II trial targets a participant’s diseased tissue with proprietary cells grown from his or her blood that can support the formation of new blood vessels. The Company’s intellectual property portfolio includes over 50 patents issued or pending throughout the world. Hemostemix has a manufacturing contract with Aspire Health Science, LLP (“Aspire”), for the production of ACP-01 and for research and development purposes at Aspire’s Orlando, Florida, facility. Building towards commercialization, Hemostemix has also licensed the use, sale and import of ACP-01 for certain indications to Aspire in certain jurisdictions. The Company is continuing research and development of its lead product, ACP-01 with other applications, including cardiovascular, neurological and vascular indications.
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Kyle Makofka, President and CEO
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Forward-Looking Statements
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