AEterna Zentaris Announces Appointment of New Board Member
09 Dicembre 2009 - 1:30PM
PR Newswire (US)
QUEBEC CITY, Dec. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AEterna Zentaris Inc.
(NASDAQ: AEZS; TSX: AEZ) (the "Company"), a global
biopharmaceutical company focused on endocrine therapy and
oncology, is pleased to announce the appointment of Pierre Lapalme
to its Board of Directors. A seasoned professional in the
pharmaceutical industry, Mr. Lapalme has over the course of his
career held numerous senior management positions in various global
life sciences companies. He is former Senior Vice-President, Sales
and Marketing for Ciba-Geigy (which subsequently became Novartis)
and former Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of
Rhone-Poulenc Pharmaceuticals Inc. in Canada and in North America,
as well as Executive Vice-President and Chief Executive Officer of
Rhone-Poulenc-Rorer Inc. North America (now sanofi aventis), where
he supervised the development, manufacturing and sales of
prescription products in North and Central America. Mr. Lapalme
served on the Board of the National Pharmaceutical Council USA and
was a Board member of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association
of Canada, where he played a leading role in reinstituting patent
protection for pharmaceuticals. Until recently, he was Board member
and Chairman of the Board of Sciele Pharma Inc. which was acquired
by Shionogi and Co. Ltd. Mr. Lapalme is currently Chairman of the
Board of Biomarin, Inc. He studied at the University of Western
Ontario and at INSEAD, France. "Mr. Lapalme has a proven track
record and extensive background in the pharmaceutical industry",
said Juergen Ernst, Executive Chairman of AEterna Zentaris. "We
believe that his wealth of experience in drug development as well
as in sales and marketing will be of great assistance to us as we
focus on bringing our late-stage oncology compounds closer to
market." About AEterna Zentaris Inc. AEterna Zentaris Inc. is a
global biopharmaceutical company focused on endocrine therapy and
oncology, with proven expertise in drug discovery, development and
commercialization. News releases and additional information are
available at http://www.aezsinc.com/. Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements made
pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve
known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause the
Company's actual results to differ materially from those in the
forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include,
among others, the availability of funds and resources to pursue
R&D projects, the successful and timely completion of clinical
studies, the ability of the Company to take advantage of business
opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry, uncertainties related
to the regulatory process and general changes in economic
conditions. Investors should consult the Company's quarterly and
annual filings with the Canadian and U.S. securities commissions
for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to
the forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned not to rely
on these forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake
to update these forward-looking statements. We disclaim any
obligation to update any such factors or to publicly announce the
result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements
contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments
except if we are required by a governmental authority or applicable
law. DATASOURCE: AETERNA ZENTARIS INC. CONTACT: Investor Relations:
Dennis Turpin, SVP and CFO, (418) 652-8525, ext. 242, ; Media
Relations: Paul Burroughs, Director of Communications, (418)
652-8525, ext. 406,
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