Acusphere Inc. (ACUS) Appoints Mark Leuchtenberger as President and CEO

LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Acusphere, Inc. (ACUSD.PK) today announced that Mark Leuchtenberger has been appointed President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of the company, succeeding co-founder Sherri C. Oberg, who will remain on Acusphere's Board of Directors as Vice Chairman. Acusphere is currently focused on the development and regulatory approval of Imagify™ (Perflubutane Polymer Microspheres) lyophilisate for dispersion for injection, a cardiovascular drug for the detection of coronary artery disease (CAD), the leading cause of death in the United States and Europe. 

"I am thrilled to join Acusphere at what I believe is an exciting time in the company's history," said Mr. Leuchtenberger. "I look forward to working with the Acusphere team to complete the final stages of Imagify's clinical evaluation and bringing this program forward to market." 

Martyn Greenacre, chairman of Acusphere's board of directors, said, "We are delighted to attract an executive of Mark's caliber and experience to lead Acusphere through its next phase of growth and development. We are indebted to Sherri for her dedication and years of success in shepherding Acusphere's technology, including Imagify as its lead product candidate, to this pivotal point. Under Mark's leadership, we are eager to move ahead with the exciting opportunities that we believe are available for Acusphere and Imagify." 

Mr. Leuchtenberger most recently served as President, Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors at Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, bringing experience in commercial operations, business development and preparing biopharmaceutical companies for product approval and commercialization. Prior to joining Rib-X, Mr. Leuchtenberger served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Targanta Therapeutics Corporation, where he led the company's initial public offering in 2007 and its acquisition in 2009. Mr. Leuchtenberger served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Therion Biologics Corporation, a privately held cancer vaccine company. Prior to Therion, Mr. Leuchtenberger was a senior officer at Biogen Idec Inc., where he led the Avonex® development and launch in the United States and subsequently managed North American and international commercial operations. Mr. Leuchtenberger received his M.B.A. from the Yale School of Management and his B.A. from Wake Forest University. He is a director and past chairman of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council Board of Directors and currently serves as a trustee for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He is a co-founder of Albor Biologics, Inc. and Alvos Therapeutics, Inc. 

Added Ms. Oberg, "I share the Board's genuine excitement and enthusiasm in welcoming Mark to Acusphere. His exceptional capabilities and expertise, particularly in leading one of the most successful product launches in biotech history with Avonex, will be critical in driving forward the commercialization opportunities for Imagify in the years ahead." 

About Acusphere, Inc. 

Acusphere, Inc. (ACUSD.PK) is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and regulatory approval of our lead product candidate, Imagify™ (Perflubutane Polymer Microspheres) lyophilisate for dispersion for injection. Imagify is a cardiovascular drug for the detection of coronary artery disease, the leading cause of death in the United States and Europe. Imagify was created using proprietary technology that enables Acusphere to control the porosity and size of nanoparticles and microparticles, which were customized to control the delivery of gas needed for ultrasound myocardial perfusion assessment. For more information about Acusphere visit the Company's web site (www.acusphere.com). 

Contact:

MacDougall Biomedical Communications

Douglas MacDougall, 781-235-3060

or

Bianca Nery, 650-339-7533