InteKrin Therapeutics Appoints Roman Skowronski, MD, PhD as Vice President of Clinical Development

LOS ALTOS‚ Calif., April 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- InteKrin Therapeutics Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of products for diabetes, metabolism and obesity, today announced the appointment of Roman Skowronski, MD, PhD, to the position of Vice President, Clinical Development. Dr. Skowronski will be a member of InteKrin's senior management team and will be responsible for the Phase 3 clinical development of InteKrin's lead compound, INT131 besylate.

"We are extremely pleased to have a seasoned drug developer of Dr. Skowronski's caliber join the company," said Denny Lanfear, InteKrin Chief Executive. "Roman joins us as we prepare to initiate the Phase 3 program for our lead compound INT131, a non-TZD selective PPAR-gamma modulator (SPPARM) for safe treatment of insulin resistance in Type 2 diabetics.  The addition of such a highly experienced drug developer and clinician to the team is very positive for the Company." 

"I am thrilled to be joining the team at InteKrin and to have the opportunity to advance INT131 into Phase 3," said Dr. Skowronski. "The Phase 2b results show that INT131 could be a significant clinical advancement in the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes. Insulin resistance is the key etiological feature to the onset and subsequent progression of the disease and as a true SPPARM, INT131 promises insulin sensitization benefits without the edema, fluid retention and weight gain exhibited by the TZDs." 

Dr. Skowronski brings over 15 years of extensive experience in clinical research and development of small molecules and biopharmaceutics delivered through oral, transdermal, inhalation, and implantable modes. Most recently, Dr. Skowronski was a VP of Clinical Development at AcelRx. Previously, Dr. Skowronski served in leadership positions at ALZA, a Johnson & Johnson company, and Alexza, where he was responsible for the clinical development of several programs in the area of endocrinology, urology, oncology, reproductive medicine and pain management, including successful approval and commercialization of several products. Dr. Skowronski received his MD and PhD degrees from the Medical University Gdansk, Poland and completed postdoctoral fellowships in the Departments of Medicine at the University of California San Diego and Stanford University focused on endocrine and diabetes clinical research.

About InteKrin (www.InteKrin.com)

InteKrin Therapeutics is a privately-held clinical-stage drug development company focused on diabetes, obesity and metabolic disease. InteKrin's business strategy is to build a robust portfolio of high value products by in-licensing clinical-stage therapeutic candidates that address significant unmet medical needs and rapidly move them through critical development stages. InteKrin's team of world-class scientific and medical experts includes veterans from several successful BioPharma organizations, internationally recognized experts in nuclear receptors and metabolism, top scientists formerly with the Food and Drug Administration and key clinical and commercialization leaders.

To learn more about InteKrin, visit www.InteKrin.com.

SOURCE InteKrin Therapeutics Inc.