London, Ontario, Canada - Viron Therapeutics Inc., a London-based biopharmaceutical company, is pleased to announce that Mr. Neil Warma has accepted the position of President and CEO. Warma is returning to Canada after spending the past 12 years working in the pharmaceutical and health industries both in Basel, Switzerland and New York City.
"The opportunity is certainly very exciting as Viron is uniquely positioned to be one of the leaders in the treatment of inflammatory disorders," Warma acknowledged. "Our lead drug candidate, VT-111, is ready to enter Phase II clinical trials and has shown promise in both the cardiovascular disease area, specifically in the treatment of patients suffering from heart attacks, and in transplantation. Supported by a strong pipeline of five compounds in preclinical development which target a broad array of clinical indications and a robust research portfolio, Viron is poised to be one of the top biotech companies for the treatment of inflammatory based diseases, not just in Canada but worldwide," stated Warma.
A scientist with considerable experience in the global pharmaceutical business and a successful international entrepreneur, Warma's skills will serve Viron well as it enters its next growth phase. Warma obtained a degree in neuroscience from the University of Toronto and an MBA from York University's Schulich School of Management. For nine years, Warma worked for Ciba-Geigy Ltd. and Novartis Pharmaceuticals AG at the corporate headquarters in Switzerland where he held various management positions within the company, culminating in a senior position in Global Marketing.
In 2000, Warma left Novartis to pursue his entrepreneurial dreams and founded MedExact S.A., an e-health company which grew to have operations in the U.S., France and Canada. Succeeding in a difficult market, Warma sold MedExact to a large public French conglomerate in 2002. He then sought to leverage his pharmaceutical background and start-up savvy and found Viron to be a perfect fit.
From its inception in 1997, having been spun off from the acclaimed Robarts Research Institute, Viron Therapeutics has exploited its proprietary platform and with recent FDA approval will soon enter Phase II clinical trials. Viron Therapeutics Inc. is a privately held biopharmaceuticals company focused on the discovery and development of novel protein therapeutics for the treatment of human disease.
