Hawthorne, NY August 1, 2005 – Acorda Therapeutics® announced two key additions to its senior management team today.
Gerard A. Cignarella has joined the company as Vice President of Business Development, reporting to the Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Cignarella was most recently a Senior Marketing Executive at Creative Healthcare Solutions; InChord Communications, Inc. Prior to this, he served in various departments at Pfizer, Inc.; and was the Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Regions Limited Incorporated.
Mr. Cignarella will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of business development including all product-related licensing activities, product portfolio management, the identification and pursuit of strategic business opportunities, acquisitions, partnerships and alliances. He received both an M.B.A. in marketing/finance and an M.S. in pharmaceutical science from Long Island University and a B.S. in pharmaceutical science from St. John's University.
Acorda has also announced that Herbert Henney III, Pharm.D. has joined the Company as the Vice President of Medical Affairs, reporting to the Chief Scientific Officer. Dr. Henney has over 20 years experience in the pharmaceutical industry; he was most recently Vice President, Clinical and Regulatory Affairs at Pharmos Corporation and has served as Senior Director, Clinical and Regulatory Affairs at Pharmos Corporation. Prior to this, Dr. Henney served multiple roles, including Senior Director of Medical Affairs at Bio-Technology General Corporation.
Dr. Henney will be responsible for providing medical expertise in support of Acorda's product portfolio and throughout the company, including preclinical research, clinical development and sales and marketing. He received a B.A. from North Carolina Wesleyan College, a B.S. in pharmacy from Temple University, and a Pharm.D. from the Medical University of South Carolina.
"I am delighted to welcome Gerard and Herbert to Acorda. These two new appointments fill critical positions in our senior management team, and will be instrumental in helping us to fulfill our mission, as we continue to grow our pipeline and advance our clinical programs,” said Ron Cohen, M.D., Acorda's President and CEO.
About Acorda Therapeutics
Acorda Therapeutics, a privately-held biotechnology company, is developing therapies for spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis (MS) and related nervous system disorders. The Company's marketed products include ZANAFLEX®CAPSULES (tizanidine hydrochloride), a short-acting drug indicated for the management of spasticity. Acorda's lead clinical-stage product is Fampridine-SR, which is in Phase 3 clinical trials for MS. The Company's pipeline includes a number of products in development for the treatment, regeneration and repair of the spinal cord and brain.