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Greg Collier ChemGenex CEO Awarded at AusBiotech
28 October 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
ChemGenex CEO Dr Greg Collier was today
recognised for his outstanding contribution to the
Australian biotech sector, receiving the AusBiotech 2009
Chairman’s Excellence Award for outstanding contribution
by an individual within a company.
Dr Collier has
played a significant role internationally and domestically
in promoting Australia’s leadership in biotechnology
development and commercialisation. Under Dr Collier’s
leadership ChemGenex has emerged as an Australian success
story, being the first Australian company to submit a New
Drug Application (NDA) to the US Food and Drug
Administration for a cancer medicine.
ChemGenex has
submitted its NDA for Omapro™ (omacetaxine mepesuccinate),
for the treatment of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia
(CML) who have failed treatment with the drug imatinib and
who have developed the T315I mutation. Patients with this
mutation do not respond to existing therapies, and in
clinical trials Omapro has been shown to be effective in 85%
of patients with chronic phase CML.
ChemGenex also
recently discovered in preclinical testing that Omapro
kills human leukemic stem cells - a significant development
with research showing stem cells appear to fuel the growth
of several kinds of cancers including leukemia and are
resistant to standard cancer therapy.
With stem cell
therapies being hailed by many as the silver bullet in
cancer treatment, this discovery is an interesting
development for the Company and expands potential new and
wide ranging avenues for the use of Omapro.
Dr Collier
has more than 20 years’ experience spanning commercial,
operational, clinical and scientific aspects of
pharmaceutical research and development. He has been CEO of
ChemGenex for seven years.
In presenting the awards,
AusBiotech Chairman Dr Deborah Rathjen said: “Dr Collier
has made a sustained and significant contribution to the
Australian biotechnology industry not only through his
achievements at ChemGenex but in his general pursuits in the
discovery and commercialisation of Australian research in
the important area of cancer therapies.”
AusBiotech
is the national body for the biotechnology and life sciences
industry, hosting AusBiotech 2009 – the premier
Australasian biotechnology conference from 27 – 30 October
in Melbourne.
About AusBiotech
AusBiotech is
Australia’s voice on biotechnology, and represents more
than 3,000 members, encompassing medicines, medical
diagnostics and devices, agriculture, alternative fuels and
climate change.
For additional event information
visit the conference website at: http://www.ausbiotech2009.com.au/
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