NEW HAVEN, Conn., May 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Osmol Therapeutics, a privately held clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing preventative treatments for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) and chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (CICI), today announced the appointment of Christopher S. Eklund, Managing Director and Partner at venture capital investment firm, J.W. Childs Associates, to its Board of Directors.
“We are pleased to welcome Chris to the Osmol Board,” said Bob Linke, MBA, President and CEO of Osmol Therapeutics. “He brings extensive experience in biopharma finance, including investments, corporate strategy and mergers and acquisitions, and we look forward to his guidance as Osmol progresses toward its vision of a future in which cancer patients won’t have to choose between their quality of life and the quality of their cancer treatment.”
“I am honored to join the Osmol Board and look forward to working with the leadership team as they advance OSM-0205 for the preventative treatment of CIPN and CICI. These conditions, which have no approved treatment options, impact hundreds of thousands of chemotherapy patients each year who risk sub-optimal cancer treatment in an effort to lessen the painful and debilitating effects of CIPN and CICI,” said Mr. Eklund.
Mr. Eklund is Managing Director and Partner at J.W. Childs Associates, a venture capital investment firm focused on biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare consumer products and selected other areas of interest. Prior to joining J.W. Childs Associates, he was Managing Director and Head of Corporate Strategy at New York Life Investment Management. He has been a Chairman, Director or Managing Director at OMAX Health, Berkshire Capital Corporation, Furman Selz LLC, and Merrill Lynch & Co. Mr. Eklund received an A.B. from Harvard College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a member of the New York Society of Securities Analysts.
About OSM-0205
Osmol’s lead therapeutic candidate, OSM-0205, is based on the research of Barbara Ehrlich, PhD, in neuronal calcium sensor-1 (NCS1) at Yale School of Medicine, which is designed to prevent the off-target calcium surge caused by taxanes and potentially other chemotherapy treatments associated with peripheral nerve damage. Data from non-clinical studies conducted by Osmol show that pre-treatment with OSM-0205 prevents the pathologic damage caused by these chemotherapy agents.
About Osmol Therapeutics
Osmol Therapeutics is a privately held, clinical stage biopharma company focused on developing a treatment to prevent chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment based on the ground-breaking work of Barbara Ehrlich, PhD, Professor of Pharmacology, Yale School of Medicine, and Chief Scientific Advisor, Osmol Therapeutics. The company’s lead indication will be for the prevention of CIPN related to taxane treatment. As an example of the extent of this condition, up to 80% of taxane-treated patients with breast cancer have been reported to experience CIPN. Up to 50% of these patients have their taxane dose modified potentially impacting their cancer treatment. For more information, please visit https://osmoltherapeutics.com/.
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Gina Nugent
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