San Diego, CA, August 22, 2011 – Phage Pharmaceuticals named Thomas Stegmann, M.D., Ph.D., to the newly created position of Chief Medical Officer (CMO). “I am pleased to welcome such a highly regarded and respected physician and scientist as Dr. Stegmann,” stated Jamie Oliver, CEO of Phage. “He’s proven to be an extremely knowledgeable practitioner and cardiovascular surgeon. In addition, he is known worldwide for his pioneer work in the use of FGF for promoting angiogenesis (the growth of new blood vessels) in the treatment of human atherosclerotic diseases.”
“I am honored to have been selected to serve as Phage’s CMO, and I look forward to continuing the development of Phage’s FGF-1 for human clinical use.” said Dr. Stegmann. “Cardiovascular disease is still the No. 1 killer in the Western World and a growing problem in the Asian populations; therefore, we will increase our efforts on the path of developing a new drug entity for the treatment of coronary heart disease.”
Dr. Stegmann is a Cardiovascular Surgeon and Professor of Surgery; he held the position of Director of the Department for Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery at the Fulda Medical Center, Fulda, Germany from 1984 to 2006. Dr. Stegmann also serves as a member of the Faculty of Hannover Medical School. In addition, Dr. Stegmann is a medical research scientist who has been working during the last 12 years in the area of Neo-Angiogenesis and Human Growth Factors. His medical research has lead to the discovery of a way to stimulate the growth of new blood vessels in the heart. His landmark clinical trials using FGF to stimulate angiogenesis in the heart have been published in prestigious medical journals including Circulation and Journal of Cardiac and Vascular Regeneration and have been reported on in the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
Dr. Stegmann received his medical degree (summa cum laude) from Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany and completed a doctoral thesis as part of that degree. The thesis, entitled “Content of Catecholamines and Change in Enzyme-Activities of the Cardiac Muscle in Experimentally Hypertrophied Hearts” was awarded the prize for “Best Dissertation” by the Medical Faculty of the University of Heidelberg. In 1982 he was awarded the Rudolf Nissen Memorial Prize by the German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. In 2004, Dr. Stegmann published the book New Vessels for the Heart, and in 2007 he published the book Holding a Woman’s Heart in My Hands. Dr. Stegmann is a member of the New York Academy of Sciences, a member of the Ukrainian Academy of Medical Sciences, and an Honorary Member of the Rideau Institute of Canada.
For more information on Phage Pharmaceuticals call 1-858-427-9100 or visit www.phagepharma.com.
Contact:
Jamie Oliver, CEO
Phage Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
6868 Nancy Ridge Drive, #100
San Diego, CA 92121
Phone: 858-427-9126
Cell: 919-264-9224
joliver@phagepharma.com
info@phagepharma.com
About Phage Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Phage Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a private biopharmaceutical company based in San Diego, California. Phage Pharmaceuticals makes use of a proprietary production method that improves upon well-established approaches for the manufacture of targeted proteins and results in the production of properly-folded therapeutic proteins at high yields. The production method results in lower manufacturing costs with fewer waste by-products and impurities compared with current conventional methods used in the manufacture of similar therapeutics.
Phage Pharmaceuticals has two product candidates in clinical development, human Growth Hormone (“hGH”) and Fibroblast Growth Factor-1 (“FGF-1″). Both product candidates have open, active INDs with the FDA. The Company has other therapeutic proteins in various stages of pre-clinical development. Among the programs are those involving Beta Interferon, G-CSF, Parathyroid Hormone, EGF, the various forms of FGF (1 to 22), and PEGylated versions of Interferon Alpha, hGH, G-CSF, and Beta Interferon.