Oxford BioMedica announces today that Mark
Berninger, recently Vice President of Business Development
at Genetic Therapy Inc., a subsidiary company of Novartis,
has joined its board as a non-executive director.
Mark (age 50) has wide experience in the biotechnology
industry in the US. He has been particularly active in negotiating
licensing deals and evaluating new technologies for a number
of the leading biotechnology companies in the fields of gene
therapy and nucleic acid hybridisation-based diagnostics and
molecular biology research products. In addition, he has had
responsibility for overseeing research collaborations with
corporate and academic research institutions. In his recent
role as Vice-President: Business Development at Genetic Therapy
Inc. (GTI) he has been actively involved in searching out
new product and licensing opportunities for both GTI and its
parent company, Novartis. He is currently a Director of Antares
Bioscience Inc and was, until 1995, a Director of Protogene
Labs Inc.
Prior to joining GTI, Mark was responsible
for evaluation and licensing of technology and corporate acquisitions
for Gen-Probe Incorporated, a subsidiary of Chugai Pharmaceuticals,
as Vice-President of Business Development.
Before joining Gen-Probe he spent 17 years
with Life Technologies Inc., the last several years as Director
of Intellectual Property and Technology Acquisition. He is
a registered U.S. Patent Agent.
An accomplished researcher in his own right,
he is the named Inventor or co-Inventor on twelve US patents
in the field of nucleic acid probe diagnostics and nucleic
acid amplification and has published numerous articles on
the subject.
Prof. Alan Kingsman, Chief Executive commented
"I am extremely pleased that we have been able to attract
a top flight director with the established track record that
Mark Berninger has to the board of Oxford BioMedica. This
is an exciting stage in the Company's development. We have
recently negotiated our first significant deal and started
the clinical programme for our lead candidate product. It
is important to maintain this momentum and further commercialise
our extensive technology toolbox. Mark's hands-on experience
in technology licensing at one of the leading gene therapy
companies in the US will be invaluable in helping us achieve
this."
Mark Berninger commented: "Intellectual property
is the key to the valuation and long-term competitiveness
of young biotechnology companies. I have been impressed by
the range and quality of intellectual property that Oxford
BioMedica owns and the quality of research that has gone into
developing it into technology platforms, product components
and potential products. I expect to be heavily involved in
presenting the company to new partners and potential collaborators
around the world with a special emphasis on exploiting opportunities
in North America."
