Developer of GI Safer NSAIDs Strengthens Advisory Team
Houston, TX, March 23, 2010 - PLx Pharma, a pharmaceutical company developing gastrointestinal (GI) safer formulations of proven non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), announced today the expansion of its CEO advisory group (CAG) and scientific advisory board (SAB) with the appointments of two distinguished industry leaders. Patrick Lonergan has joined PLx's CAG and Susumu Okabe, Ph.D., has joined the company's SAB. The additions of Mr. Lonergan and Dr. Okabe provide PLx with additional expertise to support its development and commercialization of novel GI safer formulations of proven NSAIDs including ibuprofen, aspirin and naproxen for prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) markets.
Mr. Lonergan is a co-founder of NUMARK Laboratories, a pharmaceutical company that commercializes products to address pain relief and specialty medical conditions. Prior to NUMARK, he spent more than 30 years with Johnson & Johnson (J&J) holding a number of leadership positions including vice president and general manager. In this role, Mr. Lonergan was responsible at various times for the overall management of the Baby Products Company, the Health Care Company and the Home Health Care Company. He also was chairman of the Military, Athletic, Government and Institutional Divisions. While at J&J, he served as a member of the board of directors of Johnson & Johnson Products, Inc. and was chairman of the Health Care Division Management Committee. Mr. Lonergan has also served as vice chairman of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, business chairman for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and chairman of the National Wholesale Druggists' Association Industry Development Committee. Mr. Lonergan currently serves on the board of directors of Prestige Brands Holdings, a NYSE company and the boards of directors of several privately held drug companies selling OTC products.
Dr. Okabe is an internationally recognized pharmacologist whose research over the past 40 years has focused on the mechanism of ulcer induction and healing using rodent models, some of which carry his name. He was professor and chairman of pharmacology of Japan's prestigious Kyoto Pharmaceutical University and currently holds the position of professor emeritus. He has served on the board of directors of the Japanese Pharmacological Association and received the society's prestigious Academic Contribution Award. Dr. Okabe has also served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Pharmacological Sciences, Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and the Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology.
"We are very pleased to have Pat and Susumu join PLx's team of world-class advisors," stated Ronald R. Zimmerman, president and chief executive officer of PLx Pharma. "Pat's exceptional industry and commercialization experience with a range of OTC drug products will be extremely valuable as we advance our PL 2200 Aspirin and PL 1200 Ibuprofen products toward the consumer health market. Susumu's unparalleled pharmacological expertise and research in the area of NSAID-induced gastric ulcers will help guide our product development efforts in the future. Together, these appointments significantly enhance PLx's advisory groups and we are grateful to have access to their leadership and experience."
About PLx Pharma
PLx is a pharmaceutical company developing gastrointestinal (GI) safer formulations of proven non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) including aspirin, naproxen, ibuprofen and indomethacin for prescription and over-the-counter markets. PLx has created novel NSAID formulations using soy enriched phospholipids which have the potential to reduce the serious and common gastrointestinal side-effects caused by virtually all NSAIDs. For more information, please visit our website at www.plxpharma.com<http://www.plxpharma.com/>.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements included in this press release may contain forward-looking comments and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from those indicated. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof, and PLx Pharma does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of future events, new information or otherwise.