NanoBio expands drug development team

Sep 26 2007

NanoBio Corporation has announced the addition of four new scientists to its drug development team.

Lyou-fu Ma, PharmD, Ph.D.; Susan Ciotti, Ph.D.; Robert L. Hagan, Ph.D. and Paula L. Robinson will guide NanoBio in developing and commercializing its novel topical anti-infectives and mucosal vaccines. NanoBio's lead products are topical anti-infective lotions to eradicate cold sores and nail fungus, while its mucosal vaccines are in various stages of preclinical and human testing.

Dr. Ma has assumed the position of senior vice president of development and regulatory affairs, while Dr. Ciotti is the new director of formulation research and development at NanoBio Corporation. Dr. Hagan will serve as the senior manager of supply chain and Ms. Robinson will assume the position of clinical project manager.

"Each of our new scientific team members has a rich and diverse background in the pharmaceutical industry that will ensure our company's success as we accelerate our drug development programs," said James R. Baker, Jr., NanoBio's founder and chief science officer. "Their experience in taking compounds from preclinical testing through development will be invaluable in testing and developing our current and future products."

NanoBio's clinical programs for herpes labialis (cold sores) and onychomycosis (nail fungus) treatment have already yielded promising results, with clinical trials having demonstrated unparalleled safety and tolerability, added Baker. The collective experience of Ma, Ciotti, Hagan and Robinson will further expand the company's rich pipeline of products, he said.

Dr. Ma has 17 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Prior to joining NanoBio, she served as development team leader in the pain therapy area at Pfizer Global Research and Development. In this leadership role, she was responsible for setting the strategic and operational direction for numerous compounds in development. She also led early- and mid-stage drug development teams in the neurosciences, inflammation and cardiovascular therapeutic areas at Pfizer. Prior to joining Pfizer, Dr. Ma was a principal scientist at Janssen Research Technology Center and was responsible for formulation development, scale-up, manufacturing and early analytical testing of rapid-melt dosage forms.

Dr. Ciotti joined NanoBio from the research formulations division at Pfizer, where she developed the preclinical and clinical formulations for the dermatology therapeutic area. Prior to joining Pfizer, she was a principal scientist at the Topical Formulations & Drug Delivery Technology Resource Center at Johnson & Johnson in Skillman, NJ. Dr. Ciotti currently serves as adjunct assistant professor at the University of Michigan, College of Pharmacy, where she teaches topical and transdermal drug delivery. She has published extensively and has patents pending and granted in the areas of drug delivery systems and manufacturing methods for semi-solids and liquid-liquid dispersions.

Dr. Hagan has more than 11 years of pharmaceutical industry experience in various aspects of drug product development. Prior to joining NanoBio, he served as supply chain coordinator, pharmaceutical sciences team leader, project manager, and analytical group leader for leading pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, Pharmacia Corporation and Warner-Lambert/Parke- Davis. Dr. Hagan contributed to the development of initial commercial products and line extensions for brands such as Rezulin(R), Caduet(R), Celebrex(R), and Zyvox(R).

Ms. Robinson has more than 19 years of drug development experience spanning from the pre-IND stage of development through regulatory approval. While at Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis and Pfizer, Robinson held various positions within clinical research and development, worldwide project management, and development operations.