ProtoKinetix
(OTCQB:PKTX) (www.protokinetix.com)
is pleased to announce that Julia Levy, PhD, co-founder of QLT, Inc.,
has accepted the position as head of its Business and Scientific
Advisory Board.
Discoveries made by her and colleagues at the University of British
Columbia in the field of photodynamic therapy were the basis of the
first medical treatment of macular degeneration, a leading cause of
blindness among the elderly, a treatment was developed by QLT, Inc. She
served first as Chief Scientific Officer and later as Chief Executive
Officer of QLT. Dr. Levy is an officer of the Order of Canada and has
received a number of honorary degrees. She has served on the boards of a
number of companies as well as of charitable organizations.
As ProtoKinetix continues to grow and to make the important transition
to becoming a full-fledged clinical stage company, Dr. Levy’s in-depth
experience and understanding of both the regulatory and business aspects
of the biopharmaceutical industry are particularly valuable for the
expansion and commercialization of AAGP™ applications.
About Dr. Levy
As co-inventor of Visudyne and co-founder of QLT, Dr. Levy served in
several key senior positions at the company including Chief Scientific
Officer as well as President and CEO. Under Dr. Levy’s leadership, QLT
recorded the strongest period of growth in the company’s history and
earned a reputation for achieving milestones, including FDA approval for
Visudyne to treat age-related macular degeneration, the commonest cause
of severe vision loss in the elderly. Dr. Levy has earned numerous
awards and honours including an appointment as an Officer of the Order
of Canada, the Female Entrepreneur of the Year for International
Business, Pacific Canada Entrepreneur of the Year and the Future of
Vision Award from the Foundation Fighting Blindness. In 2002 she
received, along with Dr. David Dolphin, the Friesen-Rygiel prize for
medical research and the Prix Galien Canada research award. In her
honour, the Julia G. Levy Professorship in Ophthalmology Chair was
created at Johns Hopkins Hospital Wilmer Eye Institute in 2004, the same
year she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the BC
Biotechnology Association. In 2009, the province of British Columbia
permanently endowed the Julia Levy B.C. Leadership Chair in Macular
Research at the University of British Columbia (U.B.C.) in partnership
with U.B.C. and QLT.
About ProtoKinetix
ProtoKinetix, Inc. is a molecular biotechnology company that has
developed and patented a family of hyper stable, potent glycopeptides
(AAGP™). These molecules have been demonstrated to protect cells against
hostile conditions that are present in all areas of transplantation
including regenerative medicine.
The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a “safe
harbor” for forward-looking statements. Some information included in
this press release contains statements that are forward-looking. Such
forward-looking information involves significant risks and uncertainties
that could affect anticipated results in the future and, accordingly,
these results may differ materially from those expressed in any
forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of the Company. For a
description of additional risks and uncertainties, please refer to the
Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Clarence E. Smith – President and CEO
Copyright Business Wire 2015