Avalon Pharmaceuticals Appoints David Kabakoff, Ph.D., to Its Board of Directors
October 13 2006 - 6:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
GERMANTOWN, Md., Oct. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Avalon
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq and ArcaEx(R): AVRX), a
biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development
of small molecule therapeutics, today announced the appointment of
David Kabakoff, Ph.D., to its board of directors effective October
11, 2006. The addition of Dr. Kabakoff brings the Avalon Board to
10 members. "We are pleased to welcome Dr. David Kabakoff to the
Avalon Board," stated Kenneth C. Carter, Ph.D., President and CEO
of Avalon Pharmaceuticals. "His leadership and experience in both
science and business will provide a valuable perspective to Avalon
and we look forward to his contribution." "I am very pleased to
join the Board of Avalon Pharmaceuticals, a company with a unique
approach to drug discovery and development," stated Dr. Kabakoff.
About Dr. Kabakoff Dr. Kabakoff is the current President and CEO of
Strategy Advisors which he established in 2001 to provide business
and strategic advisory services to life sciences companies. Prior
to its acquisition by Cephalon, Inc. in June 2005, Dr. Kabakoff
served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Salmedix, Inc., a
company he co-founded in 2001 to develop novel oncology drugs. From
1996 to September 2000, Dr. Kabakoff held executive management
positions with Dura Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharmaceutical
company, acquired by Elan Pharmaceuticals. Prior to joining Dura,
Dr. Kabakoff was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Corvas
International, a biopharmaceutical firm focused on cardiovascular
and inflammatory diseases, and held senior management positions
with Hybritech, Inc., a pioneer in the field of monoclonal
antibodies, which was acquired by Eli Lilly & Co. in 1986. Dr.
Kabakoff received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Yale University and
his B.A. in Chemistry from Case Western Reserve University. Dr.
Kabakoff serves on the Boards of Intermune, Inc., Rx3
Pharmaceuticals and Allylix, Inc. About Avalon Pharmaceuticals,
Inc. Avalon Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused
on the discovery and development of small molecule therapeutics
through the use of a comprehensive, innovative and proprietary
suite of technologies based upon large-scale gene expression
analysis which it calls AvalonRx(R). This platform facilitates drug
discovery by expanding the range of therapeutic targets for drug
intervention, including targets and target pathways frequently
considered intractable using conventional HTS approaches, allows
more informed decisions about which compounds to advance towards
clinical trials, and facilitates drug development through
identification of biomarkers of efficacy that can stratify patients
or provide early indicators of response. Avalon's focus is oncology
but the company has discovery programs in other therapeutic areas
with partners. Avalon Pharmaceuticals was established in 1999 and
is headquartered in Germantown, Maryland. Contacts: Avalon
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Noonan Russo Gary Lessing Wendy Lau (Media)
Executive Vice President and CFO Tel: (212) 845-4272 Tel: (301)
556-9900 Fax: (301) 556-9910 The Trout Group LLC Email: Chad Rubin
(Investors) Tel: (212) 477-9007 ext.47 DATASOURCE: Avalon
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. CONTACT: Gary Lessing, Executive Vice
President and CFO, Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., +1-301-556-9900,
Fax: +1-301-556-9910, ; Media - Wendy Lau of Noonan Russo,
+1-212-845-4272; or Investors - Chad Rubin of The Trout Group LLC,
+1-212-477-9007 ext.47, both for Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
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