Unigene Laboratories, Inc. (UGNE) www.unigene.com – a leading biopharma developer focused on novel oral and nasal delivery systems for large-market peptide drugs, with specific emphasis on the huge and quickly growing osteoporosis market – announced today the appointment of Ashleigh Palmer to President and CEO of the Company.
Palmer, who will be taking over for Dr. Warren Levy, was also appointed to the Board of Directors, a dual role which will allow him to bring his vast expertise in health care industry field operations, and his proven track record of nurturing R&D/commercial capacities, into play.
Chairman of the Board at UGNE, and Managing Principal at Victory Park Capital, Richard Levy, expressed his delight at bringing such a Pharma-sector heavy-hitter like Palmer to the plate, especially considering his true appreciation for the sophisticated delivery platform and peptide manufacturing capacity the Company has developed.
Levy went on to say that the leadership provided by Palmer would not go to waste, and that plans were already underway to flank him with the addition of a “business development professional” to complement and support his activities.
Palmer said he was “thrilled” to join the UGNE team and highlighted the Company’s well-established foothold within the burgeoning peptide therapeutics space, pointing out the remarkable feathers in UGNE’s cap, which include its commercialized Fortical® product (FDA approved nasal calcitonin product for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis), its broad R&D pipeline, and its well-developed clinical-stage alliances.
Palmer also noted the Company’s partner-of-choice status in GMP recombinant peptide manufacturing and revolutionary delivery platform as collectively representing a profile which is sector-unique – a true diamond in the rough with the potential to set records for shareholder returns.
Before taking the new position at UGNE, Palmer was:
• CEO of Critical Biologics Corporation (critical care, still serves as a Director)
• Head of Creative BioVentures ™ Corporation (strategic advisory firm)
• VP Business Development for Ohmeda, Inc., where he was crucial in the $1.2B sale of Ohmeda to a Baxter led consortium by off-shooting that company’s nitric oxide technology to found INO Therapeutics, Inc
• President and CEO of INO Therapeutics (successful commercialization of the world’s first selective pulmonary vasodilator INOmax®, for $100M+ revenue in the first two years, and subsequent sale to Iskaria for $670M)
• MBA University of Bradford, England; BSc University of Manchester, England
• Influential positions at Reckitt and Colman PLC and Seton Healthcare Group
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