CUMBERLAND, R.I., March 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Neurotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that Charles A Johnson, MD, has assumed the role of Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Johnson is an accomplished physician and pharmaceutical executive with over four decades of experience in clinical practice and the biotech sector. Dr. Johnson was most recently the Vice President of Global Medical Affairs at Vertex. Prior to this, he held leadership positions at Inspire Pharmaceuticals and APT Pharmaceuticals. Notably, during his 13 year tenure at Genentech, he was the Vice President and Head of the Immunology and Tissue Repair clinical group and had responsibility for the approvals of LUCENTIS® for wet age-related macular degeneration and RITUXAN® for rheumatoid arthritis. Prior to joining the pharmaceutical industry, Dr. Johnson spent 18 years practicing medicine.
Dr. Johnson received his medical degree from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, attained Board Certification in Pediatrics at the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and completed his Pediatric Pulmonology Fellowship at Washington University. Dr. Johnson has presented clinical data at numerous medical conferences and been published in several respected scientific journals.
"We are extremely pleased to add such an experienced and high-caliber individual to our executive team," commented Quinton Oswald, Chief Executive Officer of Neurotech. "Charlie's unique combination of regulatory, medical, and drug development expertise in the ophthalmic space, particularly in posterior segment disease, will help to continue to position Neurotech and the NT-503 program for success as we commence our wet AMD Phase 2 trial."
"I am particularly excited to join Neurotech because of the unique and transformative potential of the encapsulated cell therapy platform," commented Dr. Johnson. "The combination of the proprietary cell line and selective membrane, which can produce and deliver several types of molecules for up to two years, is truly revolutionary. It may be able to change the way we administer therapies to the eye, and I am thrilled to be part of the team that brings this to physicians and patients."
About Encapsulated Cell Therapy
Encapsulated Cell Therapy is an investigational, first-in-class, versatile delivery system that promotes continuous production of therapeutic proteins to the eye with the potential to treat a broad array of ocular diseases. It utilizes a proprietary, well-characterized retinal pigment epithelial cell line that has been genetically engineered to produce therapeutically active biologics. The cells are encapsulated in a semi-permeable membrane that allows for selective passage of therapeutic proteins, avoiding the risk of rejection and the need for immunosuppressive medications. The ECT platform is inserted during a single outpatient surgical procedure through a 3mm scleral incision, and can also be removed through the same incision, if desired. It has the potential to address the current limitations of intraocular drug delivery by allowing for single- and multiple-factor drug combinations and ensuring patient compliance and reducing treatment burden with one surgical procedure that can deliver drug for at least 2 years.
About Neurotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Neurotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a private biotechnology company focused on developing transformative therapies for chronic eye diseases. Its core technology platform, Encapsulated Cell Therapy, enables continuous production of therapeutic proteins to the eye. Neurotech is exploring several ECT candidates including its lead product for the treatment of wet AMD (NT-503), combination therapies for wet AMD, treatments for other forms of retinal degeneration, uveitis, and glaucoma. To learn more, visit www.neurotechusa.com.
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SOURCE Neurotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc.