NormOxys Appoints Industry Veteran and Recognized Neuroscience Expert, Martin Tolar, MD, PhD, as Company's CEO
WELLESLEY, Mass. - (Business Wire) NormOxys, Inc., a biotechnology company developing a novel class of small molecule drugs which enhance the body's ability to deliver oxygen to diseased tissues, today announced that it has appointed Martin Tolar, MD, PhD, as the company's President and Chief Executive Officer. The company also announced it has leased a 3,500 square-foot space in Wellesley, MA, to serve as its new corporate headquarters.
"We are very pleased to appoint a recognized scientific expert and seasoned drug development executive to lead NormOxys, and Martin's decision to join our organization is a testament to the innovative and exciting science we are pursuing," said Jean-Pierre Garnier, PhD, Chairman of the Board of Directors of NormOxys. "Martin's experience is ideally suited to lead NormOxys through our next stage of growth and to fulfill the potential for a new class of drugs, oxyrens, to make a significant difference in treating diseases through enhanced, regulated oxygen delivery to diseased tissues."
Dr. Tolar has held senior positions in pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, as well as academia. Previously, Dr. Tolar worked at CoMentis, Inc., where as the Chief Scientific Officer and later Executive Vice President & Chief Business Officer, he led the company's scientific and business growth and negotiated a landmark collaboration agreement with Astellas Pharma, a transaction valued at $760 million plus future commercial and next generation product milestones. Prior to CoMentis, Dr. Tolar held a variety of leadership positions in Clinical Development, Strategic Partnerships and Business Development divisions at Pfizer, Inc. He directed programs through all stages of clinical development and NDA submissions. Prior to entering the private sector, Dr. Tolar served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at Yale University School of Medicine. He was trained in Neurology at the Boston Medical Center, where he served as a Teaching Fellow in Neurology at the Boston University School of Medicine and as a Research Fellow at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He received a PhD in Neuroscience and has published a number of scientific publications in the area of Neuroscience and Alzheimer's disease.
"I am delighted to join NormOxys, as I believe the science behind the company's platform is incredibly compelling and has the potential to create a new class of breakthrough therapies that will dramatically change how many diseases are treated," said Martin Tolar, MD, PhD, NormOxys Chief Executive Officer. "The company already has a robust foundation in place with great people, revolutionary science and an advanced development pipeline. I'm excited to lead NormOxys into the next stage of its growth."
NormOxys new corporate headquarters is located in a 3,500 square-foot space in Wellesley, MA. The company also maintains R&D facilities in Medford, MA, and Strasbourg, France. Research at NormOxys facilities is focused on advancing preclinical and clinical development of oxyrens as a new class of drugs to treat a broad range of diseases where therapeutic benefit can be obtained through an increased, regulated delivery of oxygen to hypoxic tissues.
"We are building a significant momentum for NormOxys, and establishing our new headquarters and strengthening our team is a sign of this progress," said Dr. Tolar, NormOxys CEO. "As we put key resources and people in place, we are very excited about our future to grow NormOxys as an exceptional company with groundbreaking science, and to bring our revolutionary treatments to patients in the fastest possible way."
About NormOxys
NormOxys is developing a novel class of small molecule drugs, oxyrens, which enhance the body's ability to deliver oxygen more efficiently to diseased tissues with oxygen deficiency. This new class of drugs can be potentially developed in a broad range of clinical indications where therapeutic benefit can be obtained through an increased, regulated delivery of oxygen to hypoxic tissues, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, anemia, Alzheimer's' disease, stroke and diabetic retinopathy. The company is based in Boston, MA and was founded by Prof. Claude Nicolau, PhD, and Nobel Laureate Prof. Jean-Marie Lehn, PhD, based on their groundbreaking investigations in chemistry and cellular biophysics. To learn more about NormOxys, please visit the Company's website at www.normoxys.com.
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