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8-K - FORM 8-K - BIOCRYST PHARMACEUTICALS INC | g27085e8vk.htm |
Exhibit 99.1
BIOCRYST PHARMACEUTICALS ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina May 3, 2011 BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
(NASDAQ:BCRX) today announced that Peder Jensen, M.D., was elected to the Companys Board of
Directors, effective today. The Company also announced today that Beth C. Seidenberg, M.D., has
tendered her resignation from the Board effective May 12, 2011, following the Annual Meeting of
Stockholders.
Dr. Jensen has over 24 years of global drug development experience in both pharmaceutical and
biotechnology companies and has been responsible for more than forty new drug approvals in the
U.S., Europe and Japan during his career. He most recently served as Corporate Senior Vice
President and General Manager, Research & Development (R&D) for Japan and Asia/Pacific at
Schering-Plough Corporation, and earlier he held a number of global senior R&D positions at
Schering-Plough, including Senior Vice President of Clinical Research. Dr. Jensen previously held
senior R&D positions at Chiron and Ciba-Geigy, and a number of academic posts. Dr. Jensen received
his M.D. from the University of Copenhagen, where he also completed his post graduate medical
training in neurology and internal medicine. Dr Jensen is also a member of the Board of Acorda
Therapeutics, Inc.
I look forward to working with my fellow board members and the leadership team at BioCryst to
pursue our goal of building an enduring, successful biopharmaceutical company, addressing patients
unmet medical needs, said Dr. Jensen.
Dr. Jensen shares BioCrysts passion for serving the needs of patients and healthcare providers.
The wealth of experience Peder possesses in a wide range of therapeutic areas is going to be a
great asset to BioCryst and its leadership, said Zola P. Horovitz, Ph.D., Chairman of the Board of
BioCryst. Dr. Seidenberg has made invaluable contributions in the strategic development of
BioCryst since joining its Board in late 2005. Beths dedicated service and firm belief in the
companys long-term potential helped attract proven leaders to BioCryst, and we wish her continued
success.
About BioCryst Pharmaceuticals
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals designs, optimizes and develops novel small-molecule pharmaceuticals that
block key enzymes involved in infectious diseases, inflammatory diseases and cancer. BioCryst
currently has three novel late-stage compounds in development: peramivir, a neuraminidase inhibitor
for the treatment of influenza, BCX4208, a purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) inhibitor for the
treatment of gout, and forodesine, an orally-available PNP inhibitor for hematological
malignancies. Utilizing crystallography and structure-based drug design, BioCryst continues to
discover additional compounds and to progress others through pre-
clinical and early development to address the unmet medical needs of patients and physicians. For
more information, please visit the Companys website at www.biocryst.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding future
results and achievements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different
from any future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking
statements. Please refer to the documents BioCryst files periodically with the SEC and located at
http://investor.shareholder.com/biocryst/sec.cfm.
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BCRXW
CONTACT: | Robert Bennett, BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, +1-919-859-7910 (investors) Carolyn Wang, WCG, +1-415-946-1065 (media) |