IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- AtheroNova Inc.
(OTCBB: AHRO), a biotech company focused on the research and
development of compounds to safely regress atherosclerotic plaque
and improve lipid profiles in humans, today announced that Joan E.
Shaw, MT (ASCP), SCC has joined the Company as Senior Director of
Clinical Operations.
"We are pleased to announce that Joan
Shaw has recently joined AtheroNova's management team,
adding another integral part to the staffing necessary to continue
to work toward our entry into clinical trials in the coming
months," stated Thomas W. Gardner,
CEO of AtheroNova. "Joan's extensive experience in the risk
management and quality assurance of clinical trials along with her
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt will add to the core team that we have
assembled at this stage of our development. Our recent
additions to the team bring deep experience in cardiovascular
clinical trials without adding significantly to our current cash
burn rate moving forward."
"Joan's tremendous experience with clinical operations in
general and the ASTEROID trial in particular while at AstraZeneca
translates to real value as we move forward with AHRO-001 in lipid
modulation and potential plaque reversibility," commented
Mark Wedel, M.D., Chief Medical
Officer of AtheroNova. "We are looking to capitalize on our
pre-clinical success in the development of AHRO-001 and we are
rapidly moving forward toward entry into Phase 1 clinical trials."
Ms. Shaw brings more than 20 years of drug development
experience leading to successful NDA submissions and product
launches for leading organizations such as AstraZeneca and DuPont
Pharmaceuticals.
Between 2002 and 2012, she served in multiple areas of
AstraZeneca ultimately serving as Executive Director of Clinical
Operations in the Wilmington,
Delaware headquarters. For the last two years, Ms.
Shaw was the Executive Director of Continuous Improvement, leading
a team of Master Black Belts to define efficiencies in the drug
development process. Her group was responsible for
identifying, planning and implementing critical continuous
improvement projects across R&D to deliver value and improve
productivity while introducing and integrating Lean Six Sigma and
Kaizen methodologies within AstraZeneca's global R&D
division.
As Executive Director of US Study Delivery she provided direct
oversight and life cycle management guiding over 1,500 researchers
that conducted and supported 100-150 Phase I- Phase IV studies in
the Cardiovascular, CNS, Respiratory, Inflammation, Oncology, GI
and Pain areas.
She was also the Clinical Project Director for the $3B dollar product Seroquel, and led the
development and submission of 4 new indications and a Sustained
Release (SR) formulation for that drug. She managed a
$190M clinical budget and 250
deployed staff in 4 global locations to deliver an integrated
global clinical plan for Seroquel.
From 1982 through 2002, she led the Discovery and Development
Project Management Department at DuPont Pharmaceuticals which
conducted important research, development and delivery of
pharmaceuticals and radiopharmaceuticals that are used in the
treatment of HIV, cardiovascular disease, central nervous system
disorders, cancer and inflammatory diseases. She was
responsible for planning the strategic clinical development of
several new drugs including ReVia for alcoholism, Cozaar, and
Sustiva to fight HIV infection. As Project Management
Director for a new indication for ReVia (naltrexone), she had
direct responsibility for the approval and launch of the ReVia
alcoholism indication in the US and Canada and 8 additional countries, as well as
the approval of new formulation and packaging in an additional 13
countries.
Ms. Shaw holds a Master of Science (Clinical Chemistry),
Bachelor of Science (Medical Technology) and a Lean Six Sigma Black
Belt, and is a licensed Medical Technologist. She is a
co-patent holder for the new indications for Seroquel.
About AtheroNova
AtheroNova Inc., through its
wholly-owned subsidiary, AtheroNova Operations, Inc., is a
biotechnology company focused on the discovery, research,
development and licensing of novel compounds to reduce or regress
atherosclerotic plaque deposits and to safely improve lipid
profiles in humans. In addition to its lead compound AHRO-001,
AtheroNova plans to develop multiple applications for its
patents-pending therapies in market sectors that include:
Cardiovascular Disease, Stroke, Peripheral Artery Disease, Dementia
and Alzheimer's and Erectile Dysfunction, all of which have been
linked to atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis and its related
pharmaceutical expenses for these indications cost consumers more
than $41 billion annually in
the United States alone. For more
information, please visit www.AtheroNova.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release
includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the
safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the
current beliefs and expectations of AtheroNova's management and are
subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying
assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize,
actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the
forward-looking statements.
Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to,
general industry conditions and competition; significant
fluctuations in expenses associated with clinical trials, failure
to secure additional financing, the inability to complete
regulatory filings with the Food and Drug Administration,
general economic factors, including interest rate and currency
exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry
regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global
trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances,
new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges
inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory
approval; AtheroNova's ability to accurately predict future market
conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial
instability of international economies and sovereign risk;
dependence on the effectiveness of AtheroNova's patents and other
protections for innovative products; and the exposure to
litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory
actions.
AtheroNova undertakes no obligation to publicly update any
forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause
results to differ materially from those described in the
forward-looking statements can be found in AtheroNova's 2011 Annual
Report on Form 10-K and the company's other filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC's
Internet site(www.sec.gov).
SOURCE AtheroNova Inc.