JUPITER, Fla., April 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- SMaRT Therapeutics, Inc., a leading biotechnology company focused on the development of small-molecule drugs that target and modulate RNA, announced the appointment of Dr. John H. Abeles to its Advisory Board.
Dr. Abeles has had a long and distinguished career in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. He practiced medicine in Londonbefore serving as a Senior Medical Executive with Sterling Drug, Pfizer and Revlon Healthcare. He became the first, full-time Wall Street healthcare analyst with an MD qualification when he joined Kidder Peabody in 1975. In 1980, he founded Northlea Partners, a private capital firm that invests in healthcare companies, and MedVest Group, a business and financial consulting firm that works with medical companies. He continues to serve in an executive capacity for both companies.
"I'm excited to join SMaRT's Advisory Board at this dynamic and strategically determinative time," commented Dr. Abeles. "SMaRT has developed a revolutionary technology platform that enables it to quickly and cost-effectively develop drugs that can potentially treat a wide range of diseases by targeting RNA. I find the technology both fascinating and compelling as it could enable the company to avoid the obstacles that other RNA technologies like RNAi, antisense and microRNA have as of yet been unable to overcome."
"SMaRT is poised to make a substantial contribution to the progression of RNA-based therapies, with a potential to have a significant impact on the treatment of diseases, especially ones for which current medicines and treatments are not adequate," continued Dr. Abeles. "RNA-based drugs could cause a new paradigm in the pharmaceutical industry over the next 10 years, and I believe SMaRT is one of the frontrunners in the small-drug RNA space. I am pleased to be able to actively participate with SMaRT at this pivotal juncture in RNA-based therapy history."
Dr. Abeles has served as a founder, officer and director for a variety of biotech and pharmaceutical companies, including Althera Medical, Allium, CytoCore, CombiMatrix, HDH Medical, DUSA Pharmaceuticals, Encore Medical, Procyte, Imre Corp., Epitope, Insonus Medical, Neurotrope BioSciences, Serpin Pharma and OncoLyze Therapeutics. Many of Dr. Abeles' companies became publicly traded and/or were acquired by such pharmaceutical companies as Sonova Holdings AG, Merck and Sun Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Abeles currently serves on the Advisory Board of the College of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine in London. He received his medical degree as well as a degree in pharmacology from the University of Birmingham, England.
"We are honored that Dr. Abeles has joined our Advisory Board," stated Joseph Scime, President and Chief Executive Officer of SMaRT Therapeutics. "With such a diverse background and successful track record, Dr. Abeles' experience in guiding life science companies through different stages of growth will be a great asset as we advance our mission to develop small-molecule drugs that target RNA. His deep industry relationships and expertise in drug development and professional collaborations will be invaluable to us as we advance our broad drug pipeline. We look forward to him joining us for the strategic discussions that will shape the future of SMaRT."
"Our Advisory Board is comprised of leaders in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and business, and now consists of Ira S. Miller (Chairman), Dr. John H. Abeles, Dr. Matthew D. Disney and Dr. Michael Zwick," continued Mr. Scime. "Our ability to attract world-class professionals to our Advisory Board is a testament to the significant progress that we have achieved in the development of drugs that utilize our innovative small-molecule approach to targeting RNA. We look forward to announcing additional milestones over the coming year as we continue to bolster our team and achieve our drug development goals."
About SMaRT Therapeutics, Inc.
SMaRT Therapeutics is a leading biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of orally administered, proprietary small-molecule drugs that treat a broad range of diseases by targeting and modulating RNA. The company's small-molecule approach to targeting and modulating RNA has enabled it to overcome the toxicity, delivery and other substantial barriers faced by RNAi, antisense and microRNA companies. The company currently has 15 drug candidates in various stages of development. With its patented platform technology, it has the ability to identify and develop thousands of additional drug candidates. The company is headquartered in Jupiter, Florida. For more information, please visit its website at www.smart-therapeutics.com.
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SOURCE SMaRT Therapeutics, Inc.