DURHAM, N.C., Jan. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Scioderm, Inc., today announced the appointment of Ian A.W. Howes to the position of chief financial officer. Mr. Howes will serve as a member of Scioderm's senior management team and brings extensive finance, business development and operational experience to the company.
"We are extremely pleased to have Ian join Scioderm. He brings a wealth of senior level experience and leadership to the company. His expertise with developing life science companies is particularly valuable as we seek to expedite the development and commercialization of ZorblisaTM for the treatment of patients and families affected by Epidermolysis Bullosa," said Robert Ryan, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer at Scioderm.
"I am excited to be joining a company dedicated to developing important innovative therapies for diseases with critical unmet medical needs," said Mr. Howes. "With the closing of the recent Series B financing round, Scioderm is in an excellent position to complete the clinical development of Zorblisa and bring this important therapy to patients with Epidermolysis Bullosa."
Mr. Howes joins Scioderm from Akebia Therapeutics, a biotech company developing therapies for anemia and ophthalmology, where he held the position of chief financial officer and vice president, corporate development. Prior to that, Mr. Howes was chief financial officer and vice president, corporate development of Serenex, Inc. Mr. Howes has completed numerous rounds of private and public equity and debt transactions, including two public offerings. He has also successfully managed multiple merger and acquisitions transactions, Mr. Howes, a chartered accountant, began his professional career with Coopers & Lybrand in London and received his MBA from Kenan Flagler at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
About ZorblisaTM (SD-101)
Zorblisa is a proprietary topical therapy being developed for the treatment of all patients with EB. Zorblisa has the potential to accelerate wound healing and close chronic wounds, in addition to reduction in itching and the frequency of outbreaks of lesions and blisters. Scioderm received Breakthrough Therapy designation for Zorblisa from the FDA, as well as orphan drug designation from the FDA and EMA. Scioderm recently completed a successful Phase 2 study SD-003 study, which was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, dose-response trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of different dosage strengths of Zorblisa in the treatment of EB.
About Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB)
Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a rare genetic disease leading to fragile skin susceptible to blistering and tearing. EB is chronic, debilitating and potentially disfiguring and patients with EB have painful blisters affecting a substantial percentage of their bodies that can lead to infection and scarring. There is currently no effective or FDA approved treatment for EB. Current standard of care consists solely of bandaging and bathing the open wounds to prevent infection and trying to manage patients' pain.
About Scioderm, Inc.
Scioderm is a privately held, clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative therapies to address diseases with critical unmet medical needs, including orphan products. Scioderm was selected as a 2013 "Fierce Top 15" company by FierceBiotech, considered as one of the top 15 emerging companies in the biotech industry. The company is headquartered in Durham, North Carolina. Additional information about Scioderm can be found at www.sderm.com.
Forward Looking Statement
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including: our dependence on third parties for the development, regulatory approval and successful commercialization of our products, the inherent risk of failure in developing product candidates based on new technologies, risks associated with the costs of clinical development efforts, as well as other risks. Actual results may differ materially from those projected. These forward-looking statements represent our judgment as of the date of the release. Scioderm disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
Scioderm Investor Contact:
Robert Ryan
Chief Executive Officer
(919)-328-2021
[email protected]
Scioderm Media Contacts:
Andrea Flynn, Ph.D.
Russo Partners LLC
(646) 942-5631
[email protected]
Julia Jackson
Cooney/Waters Group
(212) 886-2249
[email protected]
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SOURCE Scioderm, Inc.