WUPPERTAL, Germany, January 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --
After 9 very successful years establishing and developing Wuppertal-based biotech company AiCuris, Prof. Dr. Helga Rübsamen-Schaeff will transition from her function as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to assume the role of Chair of the Board, as of March 1st 2015.
Her successor as CEO will be the current Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) Dr. Holger Zimmermann, who has been working together with Prof. Rübsamen-Schaeff in the development of innovative and resistance-breaking drugs against infectious diseases since the company's foundation as a spin-off of the anti-infectives unit of Bayer in 2006.
"During the past 9 years, Prof. Rübsamen- Schaeff transformed AiCuris from a spin-off into a globally renowned company. In 2012, under her leadership, AiCuris achieved one of the largest license agreements to-date in the European biotech industry. I am therefore very pleased that we will continue to profit from her extensive expertise as she assumes her role of Chair of the Board following the hand-over of operative business", Dr. Zimmermann said.
Prof. Rübsamen-Schaeff is delighted that "her" AiCuris will remain in Dr. Zimmermann's capable hands and will continue to support the company in the future - with an emphasis upon strategic advice and business development projects.
"AiCuris has a great scientific team and a number of exciting projects. I am firmly convinced that the company will continue to be successful", says Dr. Thomas Strüngmann, majority investor in AiCuris. "In a globalized world, research for innovative drugs against infectious diseases and against the increasingly resistant infectious agents is a very urgent need. AiCuris is highly motivated to assume this challenge and posesses state of the art technologies as well as excellent Know How to generate highly efficacious and resistance breaking drugs", adds Prof. Rübsamen-Schaeff.
About AiCuris: AiCuris was founded in 2006 as a spin-off from Bayer and focuses on the discovery and development of drugs against infectious diseases. Majority investor is Athos (the family office of the Dres. Strüngmann). The company is generating drugs against viruses such as human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), herpes, hepatitis B (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). With respect to bacteria, AiCuris is concentrating on the search for innovative treatment options against the very much feared (multi)resistant nosocomial pathogens. AiCuris recently signed a license agreement with Merck (MSD), which attracted significant attention being one of the largest agreement of this kind in the European biotech industry. It covers novel drug candidates against HCMV. Letermovir, the most advanced compound, is currently in Phase III clinical testing in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation.
Contact:
AiCuris GmbH & Co. KG
Katja Woestenhemke
Friedrich-Ebert-Str. 475/Geb. 302
42117 Wuppertal
Phone: +49-202-317-63-0
Fax: +49-202-317-63-1177
E-Mail: press@aicuris.com
Web: http://www.aicuris.com
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