SAN DIEGO, Aug. 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --Trovagene, Inc. (NASDAQ: TROV), a developer of cell-free molecular diagnostics, announced today that K. Peter Hirth, Ph.D., has joined the Company's Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Hirth is an industry leader and innovator with over 30 years of biotechnology and pharmaceutical discovery and development experience. A pioneer in the field of personalized medicine, Dr. Hirth led the organizations that developed both Sutent® and Zelboraf®; two successful targeted cancer therapeutics.
"Peter is an internationally recognized leader in the field of targeted cancer therapy, and I believe he will make a strong impact on the advancement of our precision cancer monitoring platform," stated Antonius Schuh, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Trovagene. "His pioneering work on Zelboraf to treat malignancies associated with BRAF V600E mutations can offer meaningful insights into the benefits of our technology, and can help position us to become the leading choice for oncologists seeking to use genomics to improve patient care."
"Trovagene's technology has shown the ability to enable physicians to track their patient's tumor progression and treatment response using cell-free DNA based on the clinical study results that were presented at both the ASCO and AACR meetings this year," stated Dr. Hirth. "I look forward to working with the Company as it develops additional clinical data supporting the utility of its precision cancer monitoring technology."
Dr. Hirth has over 30 years of biotechnology and pharmaceutical discovery and development experience. In December 2000, he co-founded Plexxikon, Inc., and served as its chief executive officer until 2013. Over the last ten years, Plexxikon's proprietary structure-guided drug discovery platform has brought several novel drug compounds into the clinic for a variety of indications. The best known therapeutic from this portfolio is Zelboraf®, a selective BRAF V600E inhibitor that was approved by the FDA in 2011 for the treatment of metastatic melanoma together with a companion diagnostic. Plexxikon was acquired in April 2011 by Daiichi Sankyo.
Prior to Plexxikon, Dr. Hirth was at Sugen, Inc., where he helped build the company from inception, and advanced several kinase inhibitors through clinical trials for the treatment of cancer, including the drug Sutent®. After the acquisition by Pharmacia-Upjohn in 1999, Dr. Hirth continued to serve as president until the end of 2000. Prior to Sugen, Dr. Hirth was a vice president of research with Boehringer Mannheim where, among other responsibilities, he successfully led the company's erythropoietin program. Previously, he was a research scientist with the Max Planck Institute, following the completion of his postdoctoral work at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Hirth received his Ph.D. in molecular genetics from Heidelberg University, Germany.
About Trovagene, Inc.
Headquartered in San Diego, California, Trovagene is leveraging its patented technology for the detection of cell-free DNA, short nucleic acid fragments originating from normal and diseased cell death that can be isolated and detected from urine. Trovagene has a strong intellectual property asset as it relates to cell-free DNA and RNA testing in urine. It has U.S. and European patent applications and issued patents that cover testing for HPV and other infectious diseases, cancer, transplantation, prenatal and genetic testing.
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "anticipate," "believe," "forecast," "estimated" and "intend," among others. These forward-looking statements are based on Trovagene's current expectations and actual results could differ materially. There are a number of factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, substantial competition; our ability to continue as a going concern; our need for additional financing; uncertainties of patent protection and litigation; clinical trials involve a lengthy and expensive process with an uncertain outcome, and results of earlier studies and trials may not be predictive of future trial results; uncertainties of government or fourth party payer reimbursement; limited sales and marketing efforts and dependence upon fourth parties; and risks related to failure to obtain FDA clearances or approvals and noncompliance with FDA regulations. As with any medical diagnostic tests under development, there are significant risks in the development, regulatory approval and commercialization of new products. There are no guarantees that future clinical trials discussed in this press release will be completed or successful or that any product will receive regulatory approval for any indication or prove to be commercially successful. Trovagene does not undertake an obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement. Investors should read the risk factors set forth in Trovagene's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 and other periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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Trovagene, Inc. | Canale Communications, Inc. | |
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SOURCE Trovagene, Inc.
