ARCA biopharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: ABIO), a biopharmaceutical company
developing genetically-targeted therapies for cardiovascular diseases,
today announced that Raymond L. Woosley, M.D., Ph.D, has been appointed
to the Company’s Board of Directors. He will serve on the Compensation
and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees of the Board of
Directors.
Dr. Woosley is currently the President, Emeritus, of the Critical Path
Institute (C-Path), a non-profit, public-private partnership with the
United States Food and Drug Administration, of which he was a founder,
and where he served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman
of the Board from 2005 to 2011. Since 2012, Dr. Woosley is also the
President and Chairman of the Board of the Arizona Center for Education
and Research on Therapeutics (AzCERT), an independent, nonprofit
research and education organization dedicated to the safe use of
medicines.
“We are honored to have Dr. Woosley join the ARCA Board of Directors,”
said Dr. Michael R. Bristow, President and Chief Executive Officer of
ARCA. “With his extensive expertise and decades-long experience in
cardiovascular clinical pharmacology, anti-arrhythmic therapeutics,
pharmacogenetic drug development and regulatory science, Dr. Woosley
will be a valuable addition to the ARCA Board as we continue the
development of Gencaro.”
“I am delighted to join the Board of an organization focused on
advancing cardiovascular science and potentially improved medical
therapeutics,” said Dr. Woosley. “ARCA’s personalized medicine approach
and its comparative effectiveness clinical trial of Gencaro incorporate
important aspects of what I believe will be more efficient, informative
and effective drug development in the future.”
Since 2001, Dr. Woosley has also been a Professor of Medicine and
Pharmacology at The University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, and
Professor, Emeritus, since 2012, where he was also Vice President for
Health Sciences from 2001 to 2005, and Dean of the College of Medicine
from 2001 to 2002. From 1988 to 2000, Dr. Woosley was a professor of
pharmacology and medicine at the Georgetown University School of
Medicine, where he was also Director of the Institute of Cardiovascular
Sciences from 1994 to 2000, and Division Chief, Clinical Pharmacology,
in the Department of Medicine from 1988 to 1994. Dr. Woosley earned his
Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Louisville, and his M.D.
from the University of Miami.
Dr. Woosley is a former member of the National Academy of Science’s
Institute of Medicine’s Drug Forum, and his research has been published
in over 265 peer-reviewed publications and 50 book chapters.
ARCA also announced that Jean-Francois Formela, M.D., Partner at Atlas
Ventures, resigned from the ARCA Board of Directors. Dr. Formela has
been a member of ARCA’s Board of Directors since February 2006.
“We thank Jean-Francois for his leadership and service over the past
seven years as a Director for ARCA,” said Dr. Bristow. “His experience
and insight into the pharmaceutical industry have served the company
well and directly contributed to the Company reaching its current state,
approaching the launch of GENETIC-AF, our Phase 2B/3 clinic trial of
Gencaro.”
About ARCA biopharma
ARCA biopharma is dedicated to developing genetically-targeted therapies
for cardiovascular diseases. The Company's lead product candidate,
GencaroTM (bucindolol hydrochloride), is an investigational,
pharmacologically unique beta-blocker and mild vasodilator being
developed for atrial fibrillation. ARCA has identified common genetic
variations that it believes predict individual patient response to
Gencaro, giving it the potential to be the first genetically-targeted
atrial fibrillation prevention treatment. ARCA has a collaboration with
Medtronic, Inc. for support of the Phase 2B portion of the GENETIC-AF
trial. For more information please visit www.arcabiopharma.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" for purposes of
the safe harbor provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements
regarding the potential impact of ARCA’s personalized medicine approach
to drug development and the comparative effectiveness GENETIC-AF trial,
the potential for genetic variations to predict individual patient
response to Gencaro, Gencaro’s potential to treat atrial fibrillation,
future treatment options for patients with atrial fibrillation, and the
potential for Gencaro to be the first genetically-targeted atrial
fibrillation prevention treatment. Such statements are based on
management's current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties.
Actual results and performance could differ materially from those
projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of many factors,
including, without limitation, the risks and uncertainties associated
with: the Company's financial resources and whether they will be
sufficient to meet the Company's business objectives and operational
requirements; results of earlier clinical trials may not be confirmed in
future trials, the protection and market exclusivity provided by the
Company’s intellectual property; risks related to the drug discovery and
the regulatory approval process; and, the impact of competitive products
and technological changes. These and other factors are identified and
described in more detail in ARCA’s filings with the SEC, including
without limitation the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2012, and subsequent filings. The Company disclaims
any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
Copyright Business Wire 2013