Anavex Life Sciences Corp (AVXL)

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Company Spotlight
3 Innovators Leading the next breakthroughs in Technology.

http://ir.baystreet.ca/article.aspx?id=139&1434607733

New Approach to Alzheimer’s Disease: (Anavex Life Sciences: AVXL)

Dr. Christopher Missling is the CEO and President of Anavex. The biotech company is developing interesting and novel compounds to treat Alzheimer’s disease, CNS diseases and conditions that are of significant unmet medical need. Two decades of health care experience, a MS and PhD from the University of Munich in Chemistry and an MBA from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management underscore Dr. Missling’s science and business acumen.

Missling has amassed a rich pipeline at Anavex, advancing two drug candidates to mid-stage trials. The company is hoping to reduce development risk with its lead drug candidate, Anavex Plus, for Alzheimer’s because it combines Anavex 2-73 with donepezil. Anavex Plus is unique in targeting multiple AD pathways simultaneously at different levels of the disease stage. The company believes Anavex Plus could have commercial appeal due to donepezil, the world’s best selling Alzheimer’s drug marketed by Japan’s Eisai (ESALY) and Pfizer (PFE) as Aricept®, losing patent protection in 2010. Dr. Missling’s resume includes serving as CFO of Curis (CRIS) and CFO at Immunogen (IMGN). He also was in charge of financial planning on all aspects of financial strategy and M&A during his time at Aventis, which eventually became part of what is now Sanofi (SNY) subsequent to a $64 billion merger in 2004.

Durable Alzheimer’s treatments have eluded drug makers for years. The value of an effective therapy was evidenced in the massive initial public offering last week of Axovant Sciences Ltd (AXON), a company with no marketed products, but a heralded Alzheimer’s drug ready to enter a Phase 3 trial.

Conclusion

In today’s environment, successful companies must be able to quickly adapt to changing markets and new technology. These industry leaders have been able to create promising businesses that are capitalizing on new technology, positioning their companies as forerunners in their perspective markets. This should lead to exponential growth, making them companies to watch.