Anaphore Appoints Michael F. Haller, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and H Casey Logan Senior Vice President of Business Development

LA JOLLA, Calif., May 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Anaphore Inc. today announced that Michael F. Haller, Ph.D., and H Casey Logan have joined Anaphore's senior management team.

Dr. Haller will be responsible for managing Anaphore's research and development partnership with Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, additional collaborative projects, and assisting senior management in shaping Anaphore's corporate strategy. Mr. Logan will work with senior management to execute Anaphore's strategic business plans, including securing additional partnerships and potential future fundraising activities.

"The appointments of Michael and Casey reflect the progress that we are making with the platform and the forward direction of our drug discovery efforts at the company," said Katherine Bowdish, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Anaphore. "Michael, with his demonstrated expertise in alliance management, will play an integral role in the success of our partnership with Mitsubishi Tanabe to develop protein therapeutics for the treatment of autoimmune disorders. Casey's business acumen will be valuable in our business development efforts including discussions with other companies also interested in partnering with Anaphore."

Dr. Haller joins Anaphore from Halozyme Therapeutics, where, as vice president of alliance management and portfolio development, he directed key alliances with Roche and Baxter Healthcare. Prior to Halozyme, Dr. Haller was a McKinsey & Company management consultant focusing on complex health care issues for a number of Fortune 500 companies. Dr. Haller has published several peer-reviewed articles, presented at numerous scientific conferences, and is co-inventor on multiple patents. Dr. Haller earned his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, his M.S. in chemical engineering from Cornell University, and his B.S. in biomedical engineering from The Johns Hopkins University.

Mr. Logan previously led corporate development and strategic planning efforts at Anadys Pharmaceuticals. Prior to Anadys, he was with Eli Lilly and Company in the corporate business development group. Mr. Logan has led transactions in both in-licensing and out-licensing of assets across a range of therapeutic areas, including the creation of two new companies, CoLucid Pharmaceuticals and Muroplex Therapeutics. Prior to Lilly, Mr. Logan was an officer in the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. Mr. Logan received his M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and B.S.E. in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan.

About Anaphore

Anaphore is developing a new class of protein pharmaceuticals to address significant unmet medical needs for patients with serious diseases. The company's Atrimer technology platform originates in tetranectin, a human plasma protein of trivalent structure. Each of the three binding domains comprises five distinct amino-acid loops that can be programmed to bind potently and specifically to virtually any target of interest.  Atrimer therapeutics potentially offer biological, manufacturing, and commercial advantages over currently marketed therapies.  Atrimer protein therapeutics are protected by intellectual property, including multiple patent families.

Anaphore's initial therapeutic focus is immunology and oncology. In collaboration with select partners, Anaphore is committed to realizing the full promise of Atrimer therapeutics against targets in a wide range of therapeutic areas, including rare diseases.

Anaphore recently formed a partnership with Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation to discover and develop Atrimer drug candidates for the treatment of autoimmune disorders. Since its founding in 2008, Anaphore has raised $38 million in financing from top-tier biotechnology investors 5AM Ventures, Versant Ventures, Apposite Capital LLP, SR One, Merck Serono Ventures and Aravis SA.

For more information please visit www.anaphore.com.

Media Contact:
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SOURCE Anaphore Inc.