09/16/19
Aeromics, Inc. Appoints Nobel Laureate Peter Agre to Its Board of Directors
Dr. Agre is renowned for discovery of the aquaporin water channels, which facilitate the movement of water across cell membranes
NEW HAVEN, Conn., Sept. 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Aeromics, Inc. ("Aeromics" or "the Company"), a privately-held, clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing first-in-class anti-edema therapies, announced today the appointment of Peter Agre, M.D. to its Board of Directors. Additionally, Dr. Agre will serve as Chair of the newly-formed Science and Technology Subcommittee of the Board of Directors.
Peter Agre, M.D. is a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and director of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute.
Dr. Agre received the 2003 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovery of the aquaporin water channels. Referred to as the "plumbing system of cells," aquaporins are responsible for moving water molecules through the cell membrane.
Aeromics is focused on controlling edema associated with various disease states through the development of inhibitors against aquaporin water channels. The Company believes Dr. Agre's stellar record as an administrator, researcher and scholar render him well qualified to serve as a member of the Board of Directors, and to Chair its Science and Technology Subcommittee. "As the discoverer of aquaporins and a decorated scientist, Peter brings unparalleled expertise and insight, particularly as we look to extend our leadership in the aquaporin field," said Jeffrey P. Draime, Chairman of the Board, Aeromics.
Dr. Agre was previously a Professor of Medicine and Biological Chemistry at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (1992-05), Vice Chancellor for Science and Technology at Duke Medical Center (2005-07), and he served as President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2009-10).
Dr. Agre received his B.A. in Chemistry from Augsburg College in Minneapolis and his M.D. from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. He received clinical training in internal medicine and hematology and basic science training in cellular and molecular biology. His research has focused upon molecular aspects of human diseases, including hemolytic anemias, blood group antigens, and malaria.
"I am absolutely delighted to join the Board of Aeromics at such an exciting time for the Company as we prepare to initiate a Phase 2 trial in patients affected by disabling and life-threatening severe ischemic stroke," said Dr. Agre. "I look forward to working with the Board and the management team to chart our exciting future."
ABOUT STROKE
Every 50 seconds someone in the United States suffers from a stroke. Roughly 800,000 strokes are seen in the U.S. each year, of which approximately 692,000 are acute ischemic strokes. An estimated 140,000 patients with large hemispheric infarction suffer life-threatening and severely disabling cerebral edema, or brain swelling, and may benefit from an anti-edema medication. Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) water channels are the primary route of water movement into the central nervous system under conditions of ischemia.
ABOUT AER-271
AER-271 is a first-in-class, proprietary, intravenous (IV) prodrug that delivers AER-270, a potent inhibitor of AQP4 water channels. AER-271 is an investigational drug and is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
ABOUT AEROMICS, INC.
Aeromics is a privately-held, clinical-stage pharmaceutical company dedicated to fundamentally changing the way in which various conditions resulting from the loss of water homeostasis are treated. The company has developed a proprietary platform based upon its expertise in Aquaporin water channel biology.
Contact
Trevor Thompson, info@aeromics.com