antiquity
03-18-2002, 03:15 PM
Howard B. Johnson Named CFO of Vion Pharmaceuticals
NEW HAVEN, Conn., March 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Vion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: VION) has named Howard B. Johnson as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Johnson, 42, has expertise in financing, operating and developing biotechnology companies. Mr. Johnson's experience includes founding MedWorks, a medical device company, and negotiating a distribution agreement for and ultimately the sale of its technology; making a seed stage investment in and serving as a member of the Board of Directors of Acorda Therapeutics, a privately held company focused on developing therapeutic products for spinal cord injury and other central nervous system disorders; and raising capital, structuring investments and developing product development partnerships with leading biotechnology companies for PaineWebber Development Corporation, where he rose to the position of First Vice President and head of Sales and Marketing.
Most recently, Mr. Johnson was a consultant focusing on investor relations, business development and corporate strategy for Nutrition 21, a company that develops scientifically supported nutritional products. Mr. Johnson received a B.A. from Harvard College in 1981, and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1983.
"Given his range of Wall Street, investor relations, business development and operating experience in both biotechnology and technology, we are pleased to welcome Howard Johnson as an integral member of Vion's executive team as the company progresses to the next stages of development," said Vion President and CEO Alan Kessman. "He brings to Vion a successful track record, reflected in his creative approach to financing development stage companies and his understanding of the biotech industry."
Mr. Johnson replaces CFO Steven Koehler, who is leaving the company for personal reasons, primarily a family decision that relocating to Connecticut was not in their best interests.
Vion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biotechnology company developing novel agents for the treatment of cancer. Vion's portfolio of agents includes TAPET(R), a modified Salmonella vector used to deliver anticancer agents directly to tumors, currently in Phase I trials; Triapine(R), a potent inhibitor of a key step in DNA synthesis and repair, currently in Phase I combination studies and Phase II single agent trials; and VNP40101M, a unique DNA alkylating agent currently in Phase I clinical trials. For additional information on Vion and its research and product development programs, visit www.vionpharm.com (http://www.vionpharm.com).
Statements included in this press release that are not historical in nature are forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements regarding the company's future business prospects, plans, objectives, expectations and intentions, including with respect to the use of proceeds, are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested in the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to those contained in Vion Pharmaceuticals' Registration Statement on Form S-3 (file no. 333-58206) including the inability to raise additional capital, the possibility that any or all of the company's products or procedures are found to be ineffective or unsafe, the possibility that third parties hold proprietary rights that preclude the company from developing or marketing its products, the possibility that third parties will market a product equivalent or superior to the company's product candidates and the possibility that preclinical results may not be indicative of results in human clinical trials and that results achieved in early clinical trials are not necessarily indicative of the results that will be achieved in subsequent or expanded clinical trials. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the common stock nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state.
NEW HAVEN, Conn., March 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Vion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: VION) has named Howard B. Johnson as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Johnson, 42, has expertise in financing, operating and developing biotechnology companies. Mr. Johnson's experience includes founding MedWorks, a medical device company, and negotiating a distribution agreement for and ultimately the sale of its technology; making a seed stage investment in and serving as a member of the Board of Directors of Acorda Therapeutics, a privately held company focused on developing therapeutic products for spinal cord injury and other central nervous system disorders; and raising capital, structuring investments and developing product development partnerships with leading biotechnology companies for PaineWebber Development Corporation, where he rose to the position of First Vice President and head of Sales and Marketing.
Most recently, Mr. Johnson was a consultant focusing on investor relations, business development and corporate strategy for Nutrition 21, a company that develops scientifically supported nutritional products. Mr. Johnson received a B.A. from Harvard College in 1981, and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1983.
"Given his range of Wall Street, investor relations, business development and operating experience in both biotechnology and technology, we are pleased to welcome Howard Johnson as an integral member of Vion's executive team as the company progresses to the next stages of development," said Vion President and CEO Alan Kessman. "He brings to Vion a successful track record, reflected in his creative approach to financing development stage companies and his understanding of the biotech industry."
Mr. Johnson replaces CFO Steven Koehler, who is leaving the company for personal reasons, primarily a family decision that relocating to Connecticut was not in their best interests.
Vion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biotechnology company developing novel agents for the treatment of cancer. Vion's portfolio of agents includes TAPET(R), a modified Salmonella vector used to deliver anticancer agents directly to tumors, currently in Phase I trials; Triapine(R), a potent inhibitor of a key step in DNA synthesis and repair, currently in Phase I combination studies and Phase II single agent trials; and VNP40101M, a unique DNA alkylating agent currently in Phase I clinical trials. For additional information on Vion and its research and product development programs, visit www.vionpharm.com (http://www.vionpharm.com).
Statements included in this press release that are not historical in nature are forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements regarding the company's future business prospects, plans, objectives, expectations and intentions, including with respect to the use of proceeds, are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested in the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to those contained in Vion Pharmaceuticals' Registration Statement on Form S-3 (file no. 333-58206) including the inability to raise additional capital, the possibility that any or all of the company's products or procedures are found to be ineffective or unsafe, the possibility that third parties hold proprietary rights that preclude the company from developing or marketing its products, the possibility that third parties will market a product equivalent or superior to the company's product candidates and the possibility that preclinical results may not be indicative of results in human clinical trials and that results achieved in early clinical trials are not necessarily indicative of the results that will be achieved in subsequent or expanded clinical trials. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the common stock nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state.