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James E. Rurka as President and CEO; Dr. Bradley Brown named to Board of Directors MADISON, WI - June 19, 2002 / PR Newswire - SLIL Biomedical Corp. today announced that James E. (Jim) Rurka has joined the Company as President and Chief Executive Officer and a Director. Additionally, the Company announced that Dr. Bradley Brown has been named a member of SLIL’s Board of Directors. "I am delighted that Jim Rurka has decided to bring his extensive pharmaceutical experience to SLIL Biomedical," said Chairman Keith Bronstein. "His business skills, vision and leadership will greatly complement the strong research capabilities of the Company. I am also pleased that Dr. Bradley Brown, Vice President of Research with PPD Discovery, has joined SLIL’s Board of Directors, in conjunction with PPD’s recent equity investment in SLIL Biomedical. Dr. Brown brings extensive drug discovery and development experience to SLIL’s Board, as we advance our products into clinical trials to treat various cancers." Mr. Rurka has 33 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry,most recently serving as President and CEO of Microcide Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (MCDE: NASDAQ) from February, 1994 until October, 2001. His prior experience includes serving as President of the Cetus Oncology Division of Chiron Corporation, and as Senior Vice President, Pharmaceutical Operations of Cetus Corporation. Before joining the biotech healthcare sector in 1983, Mr. Rurka held senior marketing and business development positions with Bristol Myers Squibb and Schering-Plough Corporation, specializing in the oncology and infectious disease therapy areas. "SLIL is an exciting company, with superb research and drug development skills," said Jim Rurka. "Dr. Lawrence Marton, the Company’s Chief Scientific and Medical Officer, and his colleagues Dr. Michael McGrath and Dr. Benjamin Frydman, have built strong scientific teams, which have yielded both an exciting drug discovery platform and a well-advanced product pipeline. The Company now has one polyamine analog product (SL-11047) in Phase I clinical trials, as well as several promising drug candidates in preclinical testing. Working together, we will build on these strengths, and move the Company forward to clinically-develop and commercialize products for the treatment of cancers, viral and other serious diseases." SLIL Biomedical Corp. is a Madison-based, privately held biopharmaceutical company, engaged in the discovery and development of drugs to treat cancer and other proliferative diseases. Polyamine analogs are the centerpiece of SLIL’s drug discovery platform and the company now has a substantial pipeline of lead compounds. SLIL also holds the exclusive license from the University of California San Francisco to the ‘Sequential Pathogenesis’ disease model. This breakthrough model of disease finds that modified macrophages, called ProMacs™, may be involved in the pathogenesis of diseases such as cancer, atherosclerosis and dementia. SLIL intends to develop diagnostic assays and novel therapeutic targets, based on the model. The model is also expected to lead to the discovery of new retroviruses associated with human diseases. This announcement may contain forward-looking statements that reflect management’s current view of future events and that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated as a result of a number of factors, including but not limited to: availability of adequate funding; outcomes of preclinical development and clinical trials; ability to manufacture; cancellation or delay of licenses; dependence on patents; dependence on current and future collaborative partners; ability to manage growth and attract/retain employees; government regulation and health care reforms; and consolidations and changes within the pharmaceutical industry. SOURCE: SLIL Biomedical Corp. Contact: Marla K. Johnson SLIL Biomedical Corp.
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