TUCSON, Ariz., Nov. 1, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Terry Matsunaga, PharmD, Ph.D., Vice President of Research for ImaRx Therapeutics, Inc. (www.imarx.com) received the Excellence in Biotechnology Award for Outstanding Achievement in Drug Delivery. Genetic Engineering News presented this award during the September BIOPHEX 2004 conference held in San Francisco. The award will be detailed in the publication's November 1st issue.
Dr. Matsunaga is being recognized for his discovery and research on the world's first injectable microbubble (MRX-115), which ImaRx sold to DuPont. Bristol-Myers Squibb Medical Imaging, Inc. subsequently acquired DuPont and named the microbubble Definity(tm), which is now a top selling diagnostic contrast agent.
As part of the sales and licensing agreement, ImaRx retained all therapeutic rights to the bubbles. An optimized version of the bubbles (MRX-815) is currently in Phase I/II clinical trials to treat blood clots in dialysis grafts and deep vein thrombosis. Clinical trials in stroke and acute limb ischemia are scheduled to begin in late 2004.
Currently, Dr. Matsunaga directs ImaRx's nanotechnology program through grants and contracts funded by the National Cancer Institute. Terry is also a long-standing member of NIH and NIDA SBIR Study Sections. He joined ImaRx in 1992.
Dr. Matsunaga received his PharmD in clinical pharmacy and PhD in pharmaceutical chemistry from the University of California, San Francisco. Terry also holds an AB from the University of California, Berkeley.
About ImaRx
ImaRx, a privately held biopharmaceutical company, develops nano-based therapeutics for cardiovascular disease. ImaRx's lead therapeutic candidate, the MRX-815 nanobubble, is currently in Phase I/II clinical trials for use in dissolving blood clots in patients with deep vein thrombosis. Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of stroke and Phase I/II trials for acute limb ischemia are scheduled to begin in late 2004. The MRX-815 nanobubbles are an optimized version of bubbles developed by ImaRx that are now marketed for diagnostic applications by Bristol-Myers Squibb Medical Imaging (NYSE:BMY) (www.bmsmi.com). ImaRx retains all targeted and therapeutic rights to its technologies, which are protected by more than 100 issued patents.
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