AMT Appoints Director Global Marketing and Sales

17/07/2008 07:02

PR Newswire

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, July 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics (Euronext: AMT), a leader in the field of human gene therapy, announced today the appointment of Mrs. Janneke de Wal, M.D., as Director Global Marketing and Sales. She will report to Anthony J. Gringeri, Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer. She will also serve on the company's management team.

Mrs. De Wal has over 20 years of experience in marketing, sales and product development, including the introduction of orphan drug products. Her experience encompasses a wide range of international positions in midsize pharmaceutical and large biotech companies. Mrs. De Wal will be building the in-house marketing and sales force, initially for AMT's lead product Glybera(R).

Mrs. De Wal comes to AMT from Genzyme, which she joined in 2003. She was a key person in that company's marketing and sales achievements in Europe. She successfully launched the orphan product Aldurazyme(R) (laronidase) for Mucopolysaccharidosis I in Europe and the Middle East and as Director European Marketing she was responsible for the marketing of Genzyme's Gaucher portfolio including its leading orphan drug Cerezyme(R) (imiglucerase).

"We are extremely pleased that Janneke de Wal has decided to join the AMT team. Janneke has demonstrated her talent in bringing specialty and orphan drugs with speed and care to the markets, both at Genzyme and Yamanouchi Pharma. She is a real leader in marketing and sales and will play a central role in bringing our products to the patients," said Dr. Lorijn, CEO of AMT.

Prior to joining Genzyme, Mrs. De Wal was part of the product team at Yamanouchi Pharma (Astellas Pharma) responsible for the launch and marketing of a product for Crohn's disease. She started her career at Gist-Brocades in the Netherlands.

She is a graduate of the University of Leiden (the
Netherlands), where she studied physics and obtained her medical degree from the University's Medical School with honors in 1986.

About Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics

AMT has a unique gene therapy platform that to date appears to circumvent many if not all of the obstacles that have prevented gene therapy from becoming a mainstay of clinical medicine. Using adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors as the delivery vehicle of choice for therapeutic genes, the company has been able to design and validate what is probably the first stable and scalable AAV production platform. As such, AMT's proprietary platform holds tremendous promise for thousands of rare (orphan) diseases, especially the ones that are caused by one faulty gene. AMT currently has a product pipeline with seven products at different stages of development.

Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements" including those that refer to management's plans and expectations for future operations, prospects and financial condition. Words such as "strategy," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "will," "continues," "estimates," "intends," "projects," "goals," "targets" and other words of similar meaning are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on the current expectations of the management of Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics only. Undue reliance should not be placed on these statements because, by their nature, they are subject to known and unknown risks and can be affected by factors that are beyond the control of AMT. Actual results could differ materially from current expectations due to a number of factors and uncertainties affecting AMT's business, including, but not limited to, the timely commencement and success of AMT's clinical trials and research endeavors, delays in receiving U.S. Food and Drug Administration or other regulatory approvals (i.e. EMEA, Health Canada), market acceptance of AMT's products, effectiveness of AMT's marketing and sales efforts, development of competing therapies and/or technologies, the terms of any future strategic alliances, the need for additional capital, the inability to obtain, or meet, conditions imposed for required governmental and regulatory approvals and consents. AMT expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements except as required by law. For a more detailed description of the risk factors and uncertainties affecting AMT, refer to the prospectus of AMT's initial public offering on June 20, 2007, and AMT's public announcements made from time to time.

PRN NLD
For information: Andre Verwei , CFO, +31-20-566-5686, a.verwei@amtbiopharma.com; Rob Janssen, Director Corporate Communications & Investor Relations, +31-20-566-7509, r.janssen@amtbiopharma.com






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