Replies to post #57063 on Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

>MNTA – Are you impressed by the composition of this Board?<

Impressed is an understatement. I would submit that there is not a more credentialed BoD in all of biotech.

If there is one knock on MNTA’s BoD, it’s that only four of the eleven directors are fully independent. Normally, I’d be concerned about this insofar as an insular BoD may find it hard to stand up to a CEO when a new direction—or new leadership—becomes imperative. However, in this case the CEO himself is a new kid on the block and I very much doubt the BoD would have any problem clipping his wings if need be.

Moreover, I like the fact that the BoD contains an assortment of VC’s who have serious money on the line even while no single VC comes close to having control of the company. (The largest shareholder, with a 13% stake, is Novartis.)

All told, MNTA’s BoD is about as good as it gets, IMO.

[DewDiligence]

Robert Millman, JD and Elizabeth Stoner, MD Join MPM Senior Investment Team

[Dr. Stoner is a director of MNTA.]

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/080324/20080324005368.html?.v=1

>>
Monday March 24, 9:01 am ET

BOSTON & SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MPM Capital, the largest venture capital investor dedicated solely to healthcare, announced today that Robert Millman, J.D., and Elizabeth Stoner, M.D., have joined MPM as Executive Partners. Both will be based in MPM’s Boston office.

“Robert and Liz bring to MPM expertise that further enhances the capabilities of our senior investment team,” said Ansbert Gadicke, Founding General Partner. “Our record of successful investing is predicated on an internal team that can be leveraged throughout the investment cycle, from due diligence to the operations and management of specific company functions rather that going outside for specialized resources. In addition to successful CEOs, investment bankers, and clinical development specialists, with Robert and Liz, we have added expertise in intellectual property and a global perspective on the clinical operations/management of big pharma pipelines. We expect that both individuals will make significant contributions across the spectrum of our investing activities.”

Robert Millman brings to MPM 18 years of experience in creating and managing intellectual property and patent estates for biotechnology as well as drug discovery and development companies. Most recently, he was the Chief IP Counsel for Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc., where he developed the leading intellectual property portfolio in RNAi therapeutics. Prior to Alnylam, for three years he served as the Chief IP Counsel at Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a company focused on small molecule discovery. From 1999 to 2002, Mr. Millman was Chief IP Counsel at Celera Genomics, where he developed and implemented an IP protection plan during the race to sequence the human genome. Mr. Millman has previously served as Patent Counsel at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and earlier in his career he held an associate position at Morrison and Foerster LLP and a patent agent/specialist position at Sterne, Kessler Goldstein and Fox, LLP. Mr. Millman received his J.D. degree from the Washington College of Law at The American University, an M.S. degree in Genetics from Washington State University, and a B.S. degree in Biochemistry from the University of California, Riverside.

Dr. Elizabeth Stoner joined MPM following a 22-year career at Merck Research Laboratories. At the time of her retirement from Merck, Dr. Stoner was Senior Vice President of Global Clinical Development Operations with responsibility for the company’s clinical development activities in more than 40 countries. She also oversaw the clinical development activities of Merck’s Japanese partner Banyu, led the clinical development for the Merck/Schering-Plough Joint Venture for Zetia/Vytorin, and played a critical leadership role in Merck’s efforts to transform its worldwide clinical development operations. Earlier in her career at Merck, Dr. Stoner led the Proscar clinical development program from inception, establishing Merck as a leader in the field of prostate disease. As Endocrine Therapeutic Head, Dr. Stoner’s responsibilities included all steroid and lipid metabolism, as well as the growth hormone secretagogue, clinical research programs. Prior to her position at Merck, she was an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Cornell University Medical College. Dr. Stoner received a B.S. in Chemistry from Ottawa University, KS, an M.S. in Chemistry from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and an M.D. from Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

About MPM

MPM Capital is the world's largest dedicated investor in life sciences. With committed capital under management in excess of $2.5 billion, MPM Capital is uniquely structured to invest globally in healthcare innovation. In addition to its MPM BioVentures family of venture capital funds, MPM Capital invests in the public markets through its MPM BioEquities hedge fund. Primarily in biotechnology and biopharmaceuticals, but also in medical devices, MPM Capital has seamlessly integrated its private and public platforms to focus on innovation in healthcare and, thereby, delivering exceptional returns to investors. MPM Capital is the manager of the MPM BioVentures and MPM BioEquities family of funds - two distinctly different but highly complementary investment platforms.
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