PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 14, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Anthony P. Green, Ph.D., who has over 30 years' experience in the biotechnology industry, with a specialization in the research, development and commercialization of cutting-edge technologies primarily in small, emerging companies, has been appointed Vice President of Regional Technology Initiatives for Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP/SEP).
Dr. Green was most recently Distinguished Scientist, Scientific Affairs, for Puresyn, Inc., a Malvern, Montgomery County, PA company that BFTP/SEP had provided early seeding. The company develops, manufactures and markets state-of-the-art products and services for the separation and purification of nucleic acids and other biological molecules. He had been with Puresyn since its inception 15 years ago and served in many roles, both in product and business development. Along with Mickey Flynn, former President of Puresyn and now President of Pennsylvania BIO, Dr. Green helped established Puresyn as the leader in the field of manufacturing technology for gene-based products for applications in DNA vaccines and gene therapy.
"We are very pleased to have Dr. Green join our senior management team. His expertise and experience in the biotech industry provide Ben Franklin with significant leadership for our more complex technology initiatives," said RoseAnn B. Rosenthal, BFTP/SEP's President and CEO. "Dr. Green's role emphasizes the value of larger, focused partnerships that complement our work and impact in capital formation and investment, product development and commercialization services."
At BFTP/SEP, Dr. Green's focus on Ben Franklin's larger and region-wide technology partnerships and major initiatives includes the Nanotechnology Institute(tm) (NTI), the Mid-Atlantic Nanotechnology Alliance (MANA(r)), various life sciences related initiatives including those evolving across area Keystone Innovation Zones (KIZs), and efforts around the development of new commercialization models.
"Ben Franklin has an extraordinary record of success and I am very excited to be a part of the team," Dr. Green said. "My role, with its emphasis on nanotechnology and life sciences, presents me with an opportunity to contribute to and expand Ben Franklin's mission to nurture technology in the entire region -- universities and industry alike -- and to leverage our partnership for the greatest impact."
Dr. Green added, "Too many technologies fail, not because they are not useful or valuable, but by failure to make the transition out of the lab. Technologies are encumbered further by unrealistic expectations. My work at Centocor in the early years of monoclonal antibodies and at Puresyn in the field of gene-based therapeutics and vaccines gives me perspective on these challenges."
Prior to his work with Puresyn, Dr. Green was with BBL Microbiology (now BD Diagnostics) and four years at Centocor, Inc. -- a leader in the field of biomedicines and a BFTP/SEP alumni portfolio company in Horsham, Montgomery County, PA. He was promoted from Group Leader, Product Support to Manager, in vitro Product Development during Centocor's formative years. He was responsible for the development of rapid immunodiagnostic assays for infectious diseases and cancer based on monoclonal antibodies and coordinated the test evaluation exercises at off-site laboratories. These assays were later commercialized and now are manufactured by Fujirebio. He also worked at Migiliara-Kaplan Associates, a medical marketing research consultancy that served the pharmaceutical and diagnostic industries in Towson, MD. Dr. Green has an impressive number of publications to his credit and has been successful in securing both Phase I and Phase II SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) grants.
Dr. Green grew up in the Philadelphia area and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Immunology, with Honors, from Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island. He earned his Ph.D. from Temple University School of Medicine, in Microbiology and Immunology.
About Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania
Since 1982, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP/SEP) has served as a catalyst for stimulating entrepreneurial potential through the integration of systems designed to accelerate the transition of scientific discovery and technology development to commercialization. Part of a statewide network in Pennsylvania, BFTP/SEP provides entrepreneurs and established businesses the capital, knowledge, and networks they need to compete in the global marketplace. BFTP/SEP has provided more than $130 million to over 1,600 regional enterprises through various funding means. BFTP/SEP is a founding partner of the Nanotechnology Institute(tm) (NTI) and the Mid-Atlantic Nanotechnology Alliance (MANA(r)) and is funded by Pennsylvania's Department of Community and Economic Development. For additional information, visit www.sep.benfranklin.org.