Research Triangle park, North
Carolina
March 30, 2005
Biotechnology company
Icoria, Inc. (Nasdaq SC:
ICOR) announced today a number of changes to its board and
senior executive staff. The changes are part of Icoria’s
realignment from an agricultural genomics company to a
biomarker-enabled drug discovery company. The changes come in
the wake of last week’s transaction with Monsanto Company,
whereby it purchased certain of Icoria’s agricultural genomics
assets.
Three board members have advised
Icoria that they will resign or not stand for re-election at the
company’s May 11 annual meeting. They are:
-
Robert M.
Goodman, Ph.D., Board member since June 1998;
-
Susan
Harlander, Ph.D., Board member since May 2001; and
-
Michael
Summers, a Board member since March 1998.
“The board recognizes that the
need for agricultural and nutritional experience is
diminishing,” said Steve Burrill, Chairman of the Board. “I
thank our outgoing members for their years of service and
considerable contributions.”
To facilitate its realignment,
Icoria has created an Office of the President, led by Heiri
Gugger, President and CEO. Members of the Office of the
President are:
-
Keith
Davis, Ph.D., currently Icoria’s vice president of
agricultural biotechnology, who will oversee Icoria’s
agricultural commitments during the transition; and
-
Doug
Morton, Ph.D., a member of Icoria’s Board of Directors who
is currently Chief Executive Officer of Southwest Michigan
Innovation Center, a biotech incubator. Morton will play a
leading role in helping Icoria build its healthcare
business.
“Doug’s experience in healthcare
and specifically in drug development while at Pfizer and
Pharmacia will be extremely useful to Icoria as we reposition
the business to focus on biomarker-enabled drug discovery,” said
Burrill. “The board appreciates Doug’s willingness to assume
this critical role during this important transition period.”
Additional changes at the senior
executive level include:
-
Brett
Farabaugh has been named Vice President, Finance. He was
formerly Senior Director of Finance, Chief Accounting
Officer.
-
Peter
Johnson, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Medical
Officer, is leaving the company for personal reasons and to
pursue other interests.
“Brett has quickly filled the
vacuum of the top financial position at Icoria, building
relationships with banks and institutional investors during a
tumultuous time, and is a welcome member of our executive team”
said Gugger. “We wish Peter well and will miss his
entrepreneurial spirit.”
Biographic and additional
information on the personnel related to these announcements can
be found on Icoria’s Web site at
http://www.icoria.com.
Icoria, Inc. is a biotechnology
company that uses gene expression, metabolomics and tissue
feature profiling to identify biomarkers to accelerate drug
discovery. In addition to its internal drug discovery program,
the company provides services to clients in the pharmaceutical,
biotech, agriculture, academic and public health research
sectors, and has major contracts with the National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences and Pioneer Hi-Bred International
(a subsidiary of DuPont). Icoria also has a major grant from the
National Institute of Standards & Technology's Advanced
Technology Program. |