SUNNYVALE, Calif., Nov. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Amarantus BioSciences, Inc. (OTCQB: AMBS), a biotechnology company developing new treatments and diagnostics for Parkinson's disease and Traumatic Brain Injury centered on its proprietary anti-apoptosis therapeutic protein MANF, today announced that it has appointed Amgen Co-Founder Joseph Rubinfeld, PhD to its Corporate Advisory Board. Dr. Rubinfeld will assist management in positioning the Company's development programs for partnering, as well as provide guidance on MANF-based small molecule strategies with his extensive medicinal chemistry background.
"I believe in MANF," said Dr. Rubinfeld, "I have reviewed a great number of technologies in my 45 year career in the biopharmaceutical field, and I believe that MANF could be one of the biggest successes that I have ever seen. The fundamental scientific premise of reducing protein misfolding is basic, yet very profound. The data, while early, demonstrates very clearly at the cellular level and in animals that MANF reduces apoptosis, improves cellular function, and restores behavioural deficits in a number of disease models, including Parkinson's, Stroke, Myocardial Infarction and Traumatic Brain Injury. These are all indications with very large markets and clear unmet medical need. I believe that if we are able to further de-risk MANF with positive toxicology studies and early clinical data, the Company's new orphan drug strategy could get MANF to market rather expeditiously. MANF has the commercial potential to become a blockbuster drug."
Dr. Rubinfeld is one of the four original co-founders of Amgen. Dr. Rubinfeld co-founded Amgen after a 23 year career in a variety of senior scientific and operational positions at Bristol Myers Squibb. Dr. Rubinfeld served as a Senior Director at Cetus Corporation from 1987 to 1990 until he co-founded SuperGen in 1991, and served as its President & CEO through 2003. Dr. Rubinfeld is credited with inventing Amoxicillin, biodegradable detergent and the 10 second Polaroid film. Dr. Rubinfeld received his PhD in Chemistry from Columbia University.
"Clearly, Dr. Rubinfeld joining the Advisory Board is a tremendous endorsement for the Company at this critical juncture in our growth cycle," said Gerald E. Commissiong, President & CEO of Amarantus. "The Advisory Board is now well populated with extremely talented experts in the various fields that are necessary to position us for growth: science, investment banking/M&A, business development and regulatory affairs. We now intend to leverage these relationships to fill out the management team and Board of Directors with development expertise and Big Pharma experience in order to attract the capital necessary to advance our development programs towards key value inflexion milestones."
Dr. Rubinfeld is the fourth member of Amarantus' Advisory Board.
