North Brunswick, NJ, May 21, 2013 -- Hurel Corporation ("Hurel"), a world-leading provider of advanced artificial tissue constructs and microfluidic cell-based assay platforms, today announced the appointment of James S. MacDonald, PhD, DABT to the Company's Board of Directors. Dr. MacDonald is the former Executive Vice President of Preclinical Development of the Schering-Plough Research Institute ("SPRI"), which was the pharmaceutical development arm of Schering Corporation prior to its acquisition by Merck & Co. in 2009.
Over a career that has spanned more than three decades, Dr. MacDonald has brought hundreds of drug candidates into development, over thirty of which have become globally registered, major drugs, including Vasotec®, Zocor®, Primaxin®, Clinoril®, Prilosec®, Fosamax®, Clarinex®, Nasonex®, Vytorin®, and Victrelis®, among others. Dr. MacDonald joined SPRI in 1994 as Senior Vice President, Drug Safety and Metabolism, and, over the next 14 years up until the time of the Merck acquisition, he played a leading role in building one of the most distinguished and effective drug development organizations in the world. As co-chairman of SPRI's Early Development Committee, he directed the movement of drug candidates from discovery research into and through the development process. Previously Dr. MacDonald held positions of increasing responsibility at Merck, including Executive Director of Toxicology. He received his Ph.D. in toxicology in 1975 from the University of Cincinnati and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt University. He became a diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology in 1980.
"Jim MacDonald's track record of getting pharmaceuticals approved by FDA and onto the market speaks for itself," said Robert Freedman, Hµrel's Chairman and CEO. "Hµrel is privileged to benefit from Jim's extraordinary wisdom and experience, both as a scientist and as a drug development executive. His guidance will be invaluable. We welcome Jim to the Board as a colleague and friend."
About Hurel
Hurel Corporation, based in North Brunswick, NJ and Beverly Hills, CA, is a world-leading provider of advanced artificial tissue constructs and microfluidic cell-based assay platforms which are used by biotech and pharmaceutical research organizations in pre-clinical drug development, as well as in the toxicological testing of industrial materials and consumer products. The Company recentlyannounced a $9.2 million Series "A" equity private placement led by Spring Mountain Capital, of New York. Funds from the transaction will provide working capital to support the current commercial launch of the Company's products and the continuing research and development of its technologies and future products.