MORRISVILLE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Viamet Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which discovers and develops best-in-class inhibitors of key metalloenzymes, announced today that Andrew von Eschenbach, M.D., former U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner and former Director of the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI), has joined the company’s Board of Directors. Dr. von Eschenbach is a recognized leader in urology, prostate cancer research, patient healthcare policy and pharmaceutical regulation.
During his tenure as FDA Commissioner from 2005 to 2009, Dr. von Eschenbach focused on modernizing the agency, emphasizing innovation and the enhancement of its ability to protect and promote public health. Prior to his tenure at the FDA, he was the Director of the NCI where he developed a plan to accelerate and integrate the discovery-development-delivery continuum for cancer therapeutics. Dr. von Eschenbach has the unique distinction of being the only person to have led both the FDA and the NCI. Currently, he serves as Senior Director for Strategic Initiatives at the Center for Health Transformation and leads the 21st Century FDA Modernization Project.
“We are honored to have Dr. von Eschenbach join our Board of Directors,” said Robert Schotzinger, M.D., Ph.D., President and CEO of Viamet Pharmaceuticals. “Andy brings a tremendous breadth of knowledge and experience to Viamet. His understanding of the needs of patients and his drive to improve the efficacy and safety of medicines through innovative approaches is perfectly aligned with our mission. We look forward to working with Dr. von Eschenbach as we move our novel therapies into clinical testing.”
“What Viamet has achieved in its drug discovery programs is impressive,” Dr. von Eschenbach stated. “Utilizing its Metallophile® Technology platform, Viamet has developed potent and selective compounds that hold great promise as human therapeutic agents. I look forward to working closely with the Viamet team to advance these innovative programs into clinical testing.”
Prior to his government service, Dr. von Eschenbach was an accomplished urologist and healthcare administrator. His medical career included several leadership roles at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center including Chair of the Department of Urology; founding Director of the Prostate Cancer Research Program; Director of the Genitourinary Cancer Center; Distinguished Chair in Urologic Oncology; and Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer. He was president-elect of the American Cancer Society when he was selected by President George W. Bush to head the NCI in 2001. In 2005 President Bush selected Dr. von Eschenbach to lead the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Dr. von Eschenbach has authored more than 300 scientific papers and has received numerous professional awards and honors. In 2006, he was named one of “The TIME 100: The People Who Shape Our World," by TIME magazine.
About Viamet Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (www.viamet.com)
Viamet discovers and develops novel inhibitors of key metalloenzymes via an innovative and proprietary metal-binding approach, the Metallophile® Technology. Viamet’s disruptive Metallophile® Technology is based on its world-class expertise in bioinorganic chemistry and metalloenzymes and allows Viamet to identify metalloenzyme targets with high therapeutic and commercial potential, leverage existing metalloenzyme inhibitors as the basis for its novel analogs, and rapidly and cost-effectively generate superior compounds by optimizing the metal-binding component of existing inhibitors. Viamet is based in the Research Triangle Park region of North Carolina, USA.