Trillium Strengthens its Board of Directors
Toronto, November 5 (ots/PRNewswire)
Trillium Therapeutics Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company, announced today that industry veterans Dr. Michael Berendt and Dr. John Dietrich have joined its Board as independent directors. Trillium Chairman Dr. Michael Moore commented: "It is a great pleasure to welcome these two experienced biotech executives to the Board where they will enhance our capabilities in strategic planning and product development. Their appointments are commensurate with completion of an internal financing round of CDN$12 million and the entry into clinical development of Trillium's lead product, TTI-1612."
About Dr. Michael Berendt: Dr. Berendt is the President and CEO of Aegera Therapeutics. Prior to joining Aegera, he served as managing director of Research Corporation Technologies (RCT), a US-based technology investment and management company, and AEA Investors Inc., where focusing on growth equity investments in life sciences companies. Previously Dr. Berendt was Senior Vice President of Research for the Pharmaceutical Division of Bayer Corporation. He is currently a director of Waters Corporation and has served on the board of directors of numerous other life sciences companies. Dr. Berendt received a doctoral degree in medical microbiology and immunology from Hahnemann University.
About Dr. John Dietrich: Dr. Dietrich joined Ventrus Biosciences in April 2007, where he currently serves as Vice President, Clinical Operations. From 2000 to 2007, Dr. Dietrich was Vice President of Research and Development at VIVUS, Inc, prior to which he was Vice President of Research and Development at Cellegy Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Dietrich served as Senior Vice President of Research and Development at Allelix Biopharmaceuticals between 1991 and 1999. In this position, he was responsible for all aspects of drug discovery and development. Before joining Allelix, he held management positions at Chemex and Revlon Health Care. Dr. Dietrich received his PhD in pharmacology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
About Trillium: Trillium Therapeutics Inc. is a private biopharmaceutical company specializing in innovative therapies of immune-mediated conditions, such as autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, as well as cancer. The company's lead program, a recombinant heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF), is being developed for the prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis and the treatment of interstitial cystitis. IND filing on the lead product, TTI-1612, was submitted to the FDA in October 2008. In addition, Trillium has two preclinical programs targeting the CD200 immunoregulatory axis; a CD200-specific monoclonal antibody for the treatment of cancer, and a CD200Fc fusion protein for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The company has a broad network of external academic and industry R&D collaborations, including several license agreements with major US biotechnology companies. To date the Company has raised approximately CDN$25 million in investment capital through Vengrowth Private Equity Partners, Canadian Medical Discoveries Fund (CMDF) and BDC Venture Capital.
For further information: Niclas Stiernholm, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Trillium Therapeutics Inc., 96 Skyway Avenue Toronto, Ontario, M9W 4Y9, Canada, Tel: +1-416-595-0627, Fax: +1-416-595-5835, niclas@trilliumtherapeutics.com, http://www.trilliumtherapeutics.com/
Contact:
For further information: Niclas Stiernholm, Ph.D., Chief Executive
Officer, Trillium Therapeutics Inc., 96 Skyway Avenue Toronto,
Ontario, M9W 4Y9, Canada, Tel: +1-416-595-0627, Fax: +1-416-595-5835,
niclas@trilliumtherapeutics.com