WALTHAM, Mass., Feb. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- AltaRex Corp.
(Toronto: AXO., OTC: ALXFF) announced today the appointment of Howard J.
Fingert, M.D., F.A.C.P. to the position of Vice President of Clinical
Operations, effective February 27, 2001. Concurrently, AltaRex has engaged
recognized gynecologic oncology leader Robert C. Knapp, M.D. in a Medical
Advisory role to the Company. Drs. Fingert and Knapp bring to the Company
extensive gynecologic oncology experience and knowledge, from both academia
and pharmaceutical industry perspectives.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000831/ALTREXLOGO )
Dr. Fingert is a U.S. trained physician with over 15 years of experience
in clinical studies, regulatory affairs and the FDA approval process. Most
recently, Dr. Fingert served as Vice President for Clinical Operations for
Genta Inc., a biotechnology company focused on oncology product development.
Dr. Fingert has prior drug development experience in global pharmaceutical
companies, including Serono Laboratories, Inc. and Rhone-Poulenc Rorer, Inc.
(now a part of Aventis Pharmaceuticals). While at Rhone-Poulenc Rorer, Dr.
Fingert directed the drug development of chemotherapy agent, Taxotene(R),
which is now used worldwide to treat multiple types of cancer including
ovarian cancer.
Dr. Fingert is a member of the American Society for Clinical Oncology, the
American Association for Cancer Research and other professional organizations.
He has received awards from the American Cancer Society, the National Leukemia
Society and the National Cancer Institute, and he is a Fellow of the American
College of Physicians. Prior to his industry experience, Dr. Fingert held
faculty positions with Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital,
Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Tufts Medical School, where he conducted
clinical and preclinical studies of potential cancer therapeutics. Dr.
Fingert earned his M.D. with honors as a James Scholar from the University of
Illinois School of Medicine, and his B.A. and M.A. from Brandeis University.
He is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Oncology and Hematology.
Dr. Knapp, Professor of Gynecology, Emeritus at Harvard Medical School, is
the co-inventor of the blood test for CA 125 - the same antigen target for the
Company's lead antibody OvaRex(R) MAb. He is currently a senior gynecologist
at Brigham & Womens Hospital, and a gynecologic consultant to Massachusetts
General Hospital. Dr. Knapp is a visiting scholar in Obstetrics and
Gynecology for Joan and Sanford Weill Medical College of Cornell University.
He was the former Director of Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology at the
Brigham & Womens Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Dr. Knapp is a
Board member of the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, and has been a Board member
of the American Cancer Society. Among many committee assignments, Dr. Knapp
is a member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the
American College of Surgeons, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the
Society of Gynecologic Oncologists and the American Association for Cancer
Research. He holds Board Certification of Special Competence in Gynecologic
Oncology. He is the author of over 200 medical publications and the editor of
the Gynecologic Oncology textbook. The Annual Robert C. Knapp Lecture Series
has been established in his honor at the Brigham & Womens Hospital. Dr. Knapp
has an M.D. from the State University of New York, an A.B. from Columbia
College and an honorary M.A. from Harvard University.
"It is with great respect that we are collaborating with such noted
professionals as Drs. Fingert and Knapp, whose depth of knowledge and
experience, and whose active connection to both gynecologic oncology academia
and industry can provide great value to the Company, particularly as we near
completion of our lead OvaRex(R) trials and seek increased visibility among
this group," commented Richard Bagley. "It is fitting that Dr. Knapp's
co-invention is our lead antigen target, and that in the same spirit he has
contributed to improving the treatment of ovarian cancer," added Mr. Bagley.
AltaRex Corp. is focused on the research, development and
commercialization of five antigen-targeted monoclonal antibodies to treat
late-stage cancers. OvaRex(R) MAb targets the tumor associated antigen CA 125
and is in the final stages of clinical evaluation for ovarian cancer with
commercialization expected in the United States in 2002. Clinical data
reported to date, in OvaRex(R) MAb responders, evidence a prolongation in time
to relapse and/or survival in the watchful waiting and recurrent disease
indications of ovarian cancer. BrevaRex(R) MAb targets the tumor associated
antigen MUC1 and has successfully completed a Phase I safety and immunology
study. The Company expects to initiate a Phase I/II clinical study of
BrevaRex(R) MAb for the treatment of multiple myeloma in this year.
Additional information about AltaRex research and development, news and
events can be found on its web site at http://www.altarex.com. Clinical information
can also be found at http://www.centerwatch.com. Additional information about
ovarian cancer can be found at http://www.nci.nih.gov, http://www.ovariancanada.org and at
http://www.ovarian.org.
This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks
and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from
the statements made. For this purpose, any statements that are contained
herein that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-
looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, the words "believes,"
"anticipates," "plans," "intends," "expects" and similar expressions are
intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties
include, but are not limited to our need for capital and the risk that the
Company can not raise funds on a timely basis on satisfactory terms or at all,
changing market conditions, completion of clinical trials, patient enrollment
rates, uncertainty of pre-clinical, retrospective and early clinical trial
results, which may not be indicative of results that will be obtained in
ongoing or future clinical trials, the establishment of manufacturing
processes and new corporate alliances, the timely development, regulatory
approval and market acceptance of the Company's products, uncertainty as to
whether patents will issue from pending patent applications and, if issued, as
to whether such patents will be sufficiently broad to protect the Company's
technology, and other risks detailed from time-to-time in the Company's
filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and Canadian
securities authorities.
THE TORONTO STOCK EXCHANGE HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THE
INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN.
SOURCE AltaRex Corp.
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http://www.altarex.com
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CONTACT:
Sondra Henrichon, Director, Investor
Relations and Corporate Communications of AltaRex Corp.,
781-672-0138, ext. 5110, shenrichon@altarex.com; or Wayne Hendry,
Investor Relations of The Equicom Group, Inc, 416-815-0700, ext.
238, whendry@equicomgroup.com
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