Accomplished biotech leader joins ProMIS Board of
Directors
TSX: PMN
TORONTO, March 2, 2017 /CNW/ - ProMIS Neurosciences
("ProMIS" or the "Company"), a company focused on the discovery and development of precision treatments for neurodegenerative
diseases, today announced the appointment of Anthony J. Giovinazzo, MBA, to its Board of
Directors, effective immediately.
"I first met Anthony over twenty years ago, working together on an Alzheimer's diagnostics opportunity" stated Eugene Williams, ProMIS Executive Chairman. "He and I have been talking about a shared commitment to making a
difference in Alzheimer's for a long time. After the outstanding job that Anthony did at Cynapsus, for both
Parkinson's patients and shareholders, he has many alternatives. We are thrilled that he has chosen to apply his talents
and energy to ProMIS".
Anthony Giovinazzo is currently President and CEO of Sunovion CNS Development Canada ULC.
As President and CEO of Cynapsus Therapeutics from 2009 through 2016 he led the successful purchase of Cynapsus by Sunovion
Pharmaceuticals, a member of the Dainipon Sumitomo Pharma group of Japan. At Cynapsus, Anthony
led the successful development of APL 130277 (a sublingual strip of apomorphine) through to late stage Phase 3 studies and was
responsible for Cynapsus up-listing from the TSX Venture exchange to the TSX and then the NASDAQ.
"I am delighted to join the Board of Directors of ProMIS Neurosciences," stated Mr. Giovinazzo. "Having devoted most of my
career to the development and commercialization of therapies for neurodegenerative disease, I look forward to leveraging my
experience to support the Company as it develops innovative, precision medicine therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease and
ALS".
About Anthony Giovinazzo, MBA.
Anthony J. Giovinazzo has over thirty-eight years of professional experience. His first
seven years were spent as an international corporate tax specialist primarily in multinational conglomerates. Over the subsequent
eight years Anthony worked in Fortune 100 investment banking and private equity. For the last twenty-three years he worked
exclusively on the discovery, development and commercialization of neurodegenerative disease therapeutics. His primary areas of
focus have been Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and neuropathic pain.
Since October 2016 he has been the President and CEO of Sunovion CNS Development Canada ULC., a
successor company to Cynapsus Therapeutics Inc., which was purchased by Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., a member of the Dainipon
Sumitomo Pharma group of companies of Japan. He was President, CEO and a Director of Cynapsus
Therapeutics Inc. from 2009 to 2016 and was one of the three original inventors and patent holders of the Cynapsus Parkinson's
focussed technology. Under his leadership the company successfully developed APL 130277 (a sublingual strip of apomorphine for
OFF episodes) through to late stage Phase 3 studies. In addition, Anthony led the up-listing of Cynapsus from the TSX Venture
exchange to the TSX and then the NASDAQ, attracting bulge bracket investment banks and some of the largest institutional life
science investors in the USA. The sale of Cynapsus to Sunovion in 2016 resulted in a 120%
premium to market price (CDN$841 million) via an all cash M&A transaction.
Mr Giovinazzo is the co-author of several peer reviewed papers and author of several papers on strategic and financing issues
in the biopharmaceutical industry. He was a finalist in the E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year (2014) for Ontario Canada. He is a Chartered Director and Audit Committee Certified, both from The Directors College, a
degree granting affiliate of Mc Master University, Hamilton Canada. He also has completed the Leadership and Strategy in
Pharmaceuticals and Biotech, in 2006 from Harvard Business School, Boston,
MA; a Masters of Business Administration from IMD, Geneva Switzerland in 1986; Graduate
Certificate Studies in Canadian Law Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, Toronto, in 1984; and his Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Accounting at McMaster
University in 1978.
About ProMIS Neurosciences, Inc.
The mission of ProMIS Neurosciences is to discover and develop precision medicine therapeutics for effective treatment of
neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Alzheimer's disease and ALS.
ProMIS Neurosciences' proprietary target discovery engine is based on the use of two, complementary techniques. The Company
applies its thermodynamic, computational discovery platform—ProMIS™ and Collective Coordinates — to predict novel
targets known as Disease Specific Epitopes (DSEs) on the molecular surface of misfolded proteins. Using this unique "precision
medicine" approach, ProMIS Neurosciences is developing novel antibody therapeutics and specific companion diagnostics for
Alzheimer's disease and ALS. The company has also developed two proprietary technologies to specifically identify very low levels
of misfolded proteins in a biological sample. In addition, ProMIS Neurosciences owns a portfolio of therapeutic and diagnostic
patents relating to misfolded SOD1 in ALS, and currently has a preclinical monoclonal antibody therapeutic against this
target.
The TSX has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This information
release may contain certain forward-looking information. Such information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and
other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by
statements herein, and therefore these statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. All
forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently
available to it as well as other factors. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements,
which speak only as of the date of this press release. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties
identified by the Company in its public securities filings, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. The
Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise.
For further information please consult the Company's website at: www.promisneurosciences.com
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SOURCE ProMIS Neurosciences Inc.
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