Ondine Biopharma Hires Sales and Marketing Executive for Global Expansion of Periowave(TM)
August 28, 2006
VANCOUVER, Aug. 28 /CNW/ - Ondine Biopharma Corporation ("the Company", TSX: OBP; AIM: OBP) announced today that it has appointed Mr. Thomas G. Leonardi as Vice-President, Sales and Marketing of Ondine Biopharma (USA) Inc. Ondine Biopharma (USA) Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ondine Biopharma Corporation which is responsible for the global commercialization efforts of Periowave(TM) and future applications of Ondine's innovative photodynamic disinfection technology.
"Mr. Leonardi will lead the company's launch of Periowave(TM) into the European and U.S. marketplaces, as well as have responsibility for sales and marketing activities in markets outside of Canada," said Jacqueline Walker, President of Ondine Biopharma (USA) Inc. "I am pleased to have Mr. Leonardi join our team as he brings the experience and leadership skills to launch
Periowave(TM) in these major markets, expand our business on a global basis, and help position Ondine as a leader in the field of novel non-antibiotic anti-infection therapies."
With 23 years of dental/medical device sales and management experience, Mr. Leonardi is a seasoned dental industry executive. Most recently at Dentsply, Mr. Leonardi held the position of Vice-President & General Manager of its Pharmaceutical Division with global P&L responsibility for the Pharmaceutical product portfolio. During his 18 year tenure at Dentsply, Mr. Leonardi received many awards for top sales and management P&L performance. Dentsply is the world's largest dental products manufacturer, with 7,700 employees and annual revenues exceeding US$1.7 billion.
"Periowave(TM) is a truly innovative new technology for the treatment of periodontal disease, representing a highly effective and superior treatment option for dental practitioners and patients." said Mr. Leonardi. "I look forward to my involvement with the European and US launches and working with the dynamic Ondine team."
"This is a significant milestone for Ondine," said Carolyn Cross, President and CEO of Ondine Biopharma. "Mr. Leonardi's appointment demonstrates Ondine's ability to attract senior executives and other key employees, which is critical to our ability to deliver on our stated corporate objectives. His strong track record of performance and success complements the collective skills and abilities of our team and will be a great asset as Ondine moves forward with our important launches and product commercialization."
About Periowave(TM) and Photodynamic Disinfection
Periowave(TM) is a Photodynamic Disinfection system developed by Ondine that utilizes low-intensity lasers and wavelength-specific, light-activated compounds to specifically target and destroy microbial pathogens and reduce the symptoms of disease. The compounds are generally topically applied and one or more lasers are used to activate the compounds and complete the disinfection. The Photodynamic Disinfection technologies were developed by Professor Michael Wilson and colleagues at the Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, and licensed to Ondine by UCL Biomedica PLC, University College London. Additional information about Periowave(TM) is available at www.periowave.com.
About Periodontal Disease
Periodontitis (gum disease) is a common human affliction, affecting one third of all adults, and over half of the population over the age of 50. Periodontitis results in gum tissue detachment, bleeding gums, oral malodour, bone and tooth loss as well as other complications. The standard of care for treating periodontal disease is Scaling and Root Planing (SRP), or gum surgery, or both. SRP is the sub-gingival removal of plaque biofilm adhering to the root surfaces. Periodontitis is associated with a host of other serious conditions including heart disease, stroke, premature births and diabetes.
About Ondine Biopharma Corporation
Ondine is developing non-antibiotic therapies for the treatment of a broad spectrum of bacterial, fungal and viral infections. The Company is focused on creating and commercializing leading-edge products utilizing its patented light-activated technology. Photodynamic Disinfection (PDD) provides broad-spectrum antimicrobial efficacy without encouraging the formation and spread of antibiotic resistance. Ondine has developed Periowave(TM) for the treatment of chronic periodontitis in adults, and is extending its platform technology into other applications both within and outside the oral cavity. The Company is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with a research laboratory in Redmond, Washington, USA and aninternational office in St. Michael, Barbados. For additional information, please visit the Company's website at: www.ondinebiopharma.com.
Forward-Looking Statements:
Certain statements contained in this release containing words like "believe", "intend", "may", "expect" and other similar expressions, are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the Company's forward-looking statements include the following: market acceptance of our technologies and products; our ability to obtain financing; our financial and technical resources relative to those of our competitors; our ability to keep up with rapid technological change; government regulation of our technologies; our ability to enforce our intellectual property rights and protect our proprietary technologies; the ability to obtain and develop partnership opportunities; the timing of commercial product launches; the ability to achieve key technical milestones in key products and other risk factors identified from time to time in the Company's filings.
For further information:
Carolyn Cross
President and Chief Executive Officer
Ondine Biopharma Corporation
(604) 669-0555
ccross@ondinebiopharma.com
Christina Bessant
Investor Relations
The Equicom Group Inc.
(416) 815-0700 ext. 269
cbessant@equicomgroup.com
