IMMUNE Pharmaceuticals Announces Alan G. Harris MD, PhD, FRCP as Chief Medical Officer

NEW YORK, Sept. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- IMMUNE Pharmaceuticals, an emerging leader in the development of Antibody based Therapeutics for the treatment of inflammatory diseases and cancer, today announced the appointment of Dr. Alan Harris, M.D., Ph.D., to the position of Chief Medical Officer.  In this new position, Dr. Harris will play a pivotal  role in the development of Bertilimumab, IMMUNE's phase II ready fully human monoclonal antibody in development for Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis,  as well as  NanoMAb development candidates in oncology. NanoMAbs are next generation bio- therapeutics with targeting mAbs conjugated to drug loaded nanoparticules.

"Alan brings impressive credentials and pharmaceutical clinical  development experience to the IMMUNE team," said Dr. Daniel Teper, Founder, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of IMMUNE Pharmaceuticals.  "We are delighted to attract someone of Alan's caliber to our growing organization.  He will be a tremendous asset and play a critical role as IMMUNE evolves into a clinical stage company."

Dr. Harris led the clinical development of Novartis' somatostatin analogue, octreotide (Sandostatin®), for the treatment of gastrointestinal tumors and endocrine diseases.  More than 20 years after its introduction, Sandostatin remains a leading therapy, with sales reaching $1.4 billion in 2010.  Dr. Harris has also held leadership positions overseeing the clinical development of small molecules and biologics as Vice President of Research at Schering Plough, Therapeutic Head of Endocrinology at Pfizer, Senior Vice President of R & D and Chief Medical Officer at NPS Pharmaceuticals.

Dr. Harris is currently Adjunct Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at NYU Medical Center in New York, and was previously Associate Professor of Medicine at UCLA Medical School and Director of the Division of Clinical Pharmacology in the Department of Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.  He has authored over 120 peer-reviewed scientific articles.  

Dr. Harris is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and the Royal College of Physicians (UK). He received his MD from the University of Strasbourg, France and his Ph.D. in endocrinology from Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.  

"I am thrilled and gratified to join the IMMUNE Pharmaceuticals' Management Team to lead the clinical development of its first in class fully human monoclonal antibody antagonist of eotaxin-1, a proinflammatory chemokine, in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases and other conditions of great medical need. Bertilimumab is supported by a strong scientific rationale and a solid regulatory file. Phase II trials will help determine its potential as a novel treatment option," said Dr Harris.

IMMUNE Pharmaceuticals will be presenting at the Rodman & Renshaw Conference on September 13, 2011 at 3.40 pm in the Metropolitan East Room at the Waldorf Astoria, New York.

About IMMUNE Pharmaceuticals

IMMUNE Pharmaceuticals is an Israel and U.S. based biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of next generation monoclonal antibodies addressing significant unmet medical needs in the treatment of inflammatory diseases and cancer. IMMUNE Pharmaceuticals has built a robust pipeline of clinical and pre-clinical candidates based on novel targets and best-in-class antibody technologies. IMMUNE licensed worldwide rights for systemic indications of Bertilimumab from iCo Therapeutics (TSX: ICO) in June 2011, while iCo retained rights to all ophthalmic indications. iCo originally  licensed the exclusive world-wide rights to Bertilimumab in 2006 from MedImmune Limited (formerly known as Cambridge Antibody Technology Limited), the Global Biologics Unit of AstraZeneca.

For more information, visit the Company website at: www.immunepharmaceuticals.com 

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this press release may be considered forward-looking. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements, and therefore these statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. All forward-looking statements are based IMMUNE Pharmaceuticals  current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to IMMUNE Pharmaceuticals and relate to, among other things, anticipated financial performance, business prospects, strategies, regulatory developments, market acceptance and future commitments. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.  Due to risks and uncertainties; actual events may differ materially from current expectations. IMMUNE Pharmaceuticals disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contacts:
Mr. Serge Goldner, Chief Financial Officer
IMMUNE Pharmaceuticals
+972505203100 [email protected]

Ms Justyna Figiel, Media and Investor Relations
IMMUNE Pharmaceuticals
347-437-0218 [email protected]

Mrs. Marcy Nanus, Vice President
The Trout Group, LLC.
646-378-2927, [email protected]

SOURCE IMMUNE Pharmaceuticals