Appoints Senior Executives in Clinical Research and Regulatory Affairs to
Support Clinical Trials for Pathogen Inactivated Red Blood Cells
WATERTOWN, Mass., May 15 /PRNewswire/ -- V. I. Technologies, Inc. (VITEX)
(Nasdaq: VITX) announced today that Kathleen J. Beach, M.D has joined the
Company as Vice President of Clinical Research. Effective June 1, Bernadette
L. Alford, Ph.D. will be joining the Company as Senior Vice President,
Development and Regulatory Affairs. In these newly created positions, Dr.
Beach and Dr. Alford will strengthen the Company's clinical and regulatory
functions and support its business development activities, both particularly
important as VITEX accelerates its red cell viral inactivation program.
Dr. Beach, age 44, spent over five years at Genetics Institute, Inc. of
Cambridge, Mass., now a research unit of Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories -- the
pharmaceutical division of American Home Products Corporation. As Medical
Director and Department Head, Medical Affairs, she was responsible for
building a team of 20 professionals to provide design and direction for
Genetics Institute's clinical trials during and following the launch of its
first products. She played a key role in the design and execution of the
pivotal clinical trial program for Interleukin-11, platelet-derived growth
factor, which led to FDA approval of this product.
From 1992 through 1994, Dr. Beach was with the Hematology Division, Center
for Biologics Evaluation and Research, FDA. Dr. Beach received her M.D. from
the University of Massachusetts and has authored numerous scientific
publications.
Dr. Alford, age 51, brings over 16 years of experience in regulatory
affairs to VITEX. She joins the Company from Biopure Corporation
of Cambridge, Mass., where she was Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, with
overall responsibility for the Company's regulatory and quality functions.
From 1994 to 1998 Dr. Alford was Senior Vice President, Product
Development at Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. where she was responsible for
clinical and regulatory affairs, compliance and validation for the company's
immunoregulatory therapeutics. Dr. Alford received a Ph.D. in molecular
biology and biochemistry from Texas University and has also received
fellowships from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Baylor College
of Medicine.
John Barr, President and CEO commented, "We are extremely pleased to
welcome Kathleen and Bernadette to VITEX. Their appointments further
demonstrate our commitment to adding high caliber executives with in depth
industry knowledge to our management team. Their expertise will be
particularly useful as we navigate the clinical trial process for our
INACTINE(TM) red blood cell technology. We believe our ability to continue to
attract industry executives such as Kathleen and Bernadette reflects
positively on the potential for our viral inactivation technology and the
clear need for our products."
VITEX is a leading developer and manufacturer of a broad portfolio of
blood products that utilize its patented viral inactivation technologies
designed to ensure product safety. The technologies are tailored for all
blood component applications and other blood-derived products, including
plasma, plasma derivatives, red blood cells and platelets. The first of
VITEX's virally inactivated products, PLAS+(R)SD, is the only FDA-approved
method for viral inactivation of plasma.
For further information, please visit the VITEX web site at
http://www.vitechnologies.com.
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters
discussed are forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor
provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These
statements involve risks and uncertainties, such as quarterly fluctuations in
operating results, the timely availability of new products, market acceptance
of the company's products, the impacts of competitive products and pricing,
government regulation of the company's products and other risks and
uncertainties set forth in the company's filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results
to differ materially from any forward-looking statements made herein.
To receive additional information on V. I. Technologies, Inc., via fax, at
no charge, dial 1-800-PRO-INFO and enter code VITX.
SOURCE V.I. Technologies, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.vitechnologies.com
CONTACT:
John Barr, President and CEO of V.I.
Technologies, 617-726-1551, ext. 7256; or Alison Ziegler, Cecelia
Heer, or Deanne Eagle, all at the Financial Relations Board,
212-661-8030
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