MDS Pharma Services Hires Biomarkers Thought Leader
23 Giugno 2008 - 2:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
Dr. Patrice Hugo to lead development of biomarkers to expedite
client drug programs in central lab operations KING OF PRUSSIA, PA,
June 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MDS Pharma Services, a leading
provider of innovative drug discovery and development solutions,
has named international biomarkers thought leader Dr. Patrice Hugo
to the position of Vice-President of Scientific Affairs for its
global central lab network. In this role, he will lead the
development of innovative biomarkers and esoteric assays to enhance
clinical development productivity from Phases I through IV. "We're
delighted to offer our clients access to Dr. Hugo's experience and
expertise in the development and application of biomarkers," said
MDS Pharma Services President David Spaight. "The importance of
biomarkers has grown as the industry shifts toward personalized
medicine and seeks to expedite drug discovery and development while
controlling costs. As part of this trend, MDS Pharma Services has
validated and implemented more than 100 custom biomarkers in the
last two years, and Dr. Hugo's appointment reflects our intention
to remain a key player in this important arena." Biomarkers are
biochemical indicators used to measure the progress of disease or
the effects of treatment. Blood glucose level, for example, is a
biomarker for diabetes. Biomarkers can play a role in drug
discovery, preclinical evaluations, all phases of clinical research
and post-marketing studies. By helping to predict a patient's
response to a compound, they enable rapid decisions for early
termination of investigations for less promising drug entities. In
support of personalized medicine, biomarkers can help identify
patient populations that are more likely to respond well to a drug
therapy or to experience adverse events. Dr. Hugo has more than 15
years of relevant experience in discovery, preclinical, clinical
development, diagnostics and biotechnology, with a focus on
biomarker evaluation and development. His biomarker experience
crosses various therapeutic areas including oncology, infectious
disease, inflammation, metabolic disease, and women's health. He
comes to MDS Pharma Services from Caprion Proteomics, where he was
Executive Vice President, Research and Development. From 1997 to
2003, he was with PROCREA BioSciences, first as the Vice President
of Scientific Research and then as Chief Scientific Officer.
Earlier, he worked for the Institut de Recherches Cliniques de
Montreal (Montreal Institute of Clinical Research). Dr. Hugo holds
a Master of Science in Immunotoxicology from the University of
Quebec and a Ph.D. in Immunology from McGill University, Montreal.
He also conducted five years of post-doctoral training in Australia
and the United States. About MDS Pharma Services MDS Pharma
Services is committed to delivering quality service on time. We
offer a full spectrum of resources to meet the drug discovery and
development needs of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology
industries. With numerous facilities strategically located around
the world, we apply advanced scientific and technological expertise
throughout the drug discovery and development process - from lead
optimization, pre-IND research, early clinical research
(bioequivalence, phases I-IIa) and bioanalysis through to global
clinical development (phases IIb-IV), central lab and centralized
cardiac services. For more information, visit our website at
http://www.mdsps.com/. MDS Pharma Services is a business unit of
MDS Inc. (TSX: MDS; NYSE: MDZ), a global life sciences company that
provides market-leading products and services that our customers
need for the development of drugs and diagnosis and treatment of
disease. We are a leading global provider of pharmaceutical
contract research, medical isotopes for molecular imaging,
radiotherapeutics, and analytical instruments. MDS has more than
5,500 highly skilled people in 29 countries. Find out more at
http://www.mdsinc.com/ or by calling 1-888-MDS-7222, 24 hours a
day. DATASOURCE: MDS Pharma Services CONTACT: For Investors, Kim
Lee, (416) 675-6777 ext. 34721, ; For Media, Charlene McGrady,
(610) 239-7900 ext. 231,
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