Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde

Marc de Somer, MD, ScD, MPH, MSc, MBA, appointed Chief Medical Officer Martin Rabe, MSc, appointed Executive Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance ATLANTA, May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- NeuroTrauma Sciences, LLC (NTS), a private biopharmaceutical company developing neuroprotective therapeutics for treating Central Nervous System (CNS) injuries, including stroke and Traumatic Brain Injury, today announced the expansion of its executive management team with key appointments: Marc de Somer, MD, ScD, MPH, MSc, MBA, has been appointed Chief Medical Officer and Martin Rabe, MSc, joins as Executive Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance. Dr. de Somer brings more than 30 years of leadership in the biopharmaceutical industry to the NTS management team in his role as Chief Medical Officer. As a therapeutic development executive with comprehensive neurological experience and critical expertise in quantitative methods/biostatistics to inform clinical design, Dr. de Somer led the development of nine novel medicines to successful global NDAs and launch. He held clinical development leadership responsibilities in Europe, the UK, and the US at Sandoz/Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Subsequently, he co-founded three VC-backed clinical-stage neuroscience start-ups where he served as Chief Medical Officer and Head of Research & Development, most recently as CMO for Maxona Pharmaceuticals. Earlier in his career, Dr. de Somer also was Vice President of Product Development, Neuroscience at PPD (part of Thermo Fisher Scientific) and Vice President of Clinical Development and Medical Affairs for Alkermes, Inc., where he helped build and transform the clinical R&D operation through the company's growth to a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company. Dr. de Somer earned an MD from Brussels Free University, Belgium, a doctorate from the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, an MSc in biostatistics (a joint program of Harvard School of Public Health, Imperial College London, and Leuven University, Belgium), and an executive MBA from Columbia University Business School. Additionally, he has an MPH, a postgraduate degree in epidemiology, and an MSc in pharmaceutical medicine. Mr. Rabe joins NeuroTrauma Sciences as Executive Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance, bringing over 25 years of global drug development and regulatory expertise with biologics and small molecules focusing on neurological diseases, and has helped oversee and support six new drug/biologic approvals. Most recently, Mr. Rabe served as Senior Vice President and Head of Global Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance for Kira Pharmaceuticals. Prior, he spent more than a decade of his career at Eisai, Inc., in senior global regulatory positions that include Vice President and Head of Global Regulatory Strategy and Commercial Regulatory Affairs Neurology Business Group; and Executive Director, Global Regulatory Affairs, where he headed the neuroscience and general medicine therapeutic areas. His big pharma experience also includes six years at Pfizer, Inc., in worldwide regulatory strategy positions, and at Merck & Co. Mr. Rabe holds an MSc from Laval University, Quebec, Canada, and a BSc from Concordia University, Montréal, Canada. "We are pleased to welcome these industry veterans to our leadership team," said Carl Long, Chief Executive Officer. "Marc and Martin bring complementary records of excellence in clinical development and successful interactions with key regulatory and industry stakeholders, which will be invaluable as we prepare to initiate dosing in a Phase 1 trial of our lead program NTS-104 in stroke. We will value their leadership and direction as we advance NTS-104 through the clinic." About NeuroTrauma Sciences NeuroTrauma Sciences is a biopharmaceutical company advancing its mission to develop neuroprotective therapies for treating CNS injuries, including ischemic stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Acquired brain injuries remain areas of high unmet need with limited therapeutic options to alleviate the cognitive, functional, and neurobehavioral effects for millions of patients worldwide. By leveraging insights into the biology of acquired brain injury, NTS is advancing a pipeline of candidates targeting ischemic stroke and TBI. For additional information, please visit . Contacts: NeuroTrauma Sciences David Lawrence Chief Financial Officer M: 845-548-6311 [email protected] SMP Communications Susan Pietropaolo M: 201-923-2049 [email protected] SOURCE Neurotrauma Sciences LLC

FRIDAY, April 28, 2023 – For the first time since the mpox outbreak began last spring, no new cases have been reported in more than a week, fresh government data shows. At the peak of the outbreak, there were 500 new infections reported daily, but by late last year that number was 16, CDC statistics show. While the Biden administration ended the public health emergency for the virus that was previously called monkeypox late last year, it’s not clear how much time is required with zero cases to declare the outbreak over, CBS News reported. And a resurgence is still possible, public health officials have warned. "If mpox reintroduction occurs and no additional vaccination or sexual behavior adaptations occur, the risk of a resurgent mpox outbreak is greater than 35% in most jurisdictions in the United States," modelers for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in April. Other countries continue to report new cases, while a site in central Virginia that tests wastewater continues to detect the virus in samples. This could be because of unresolved but previously reported infections, CBS News reported. "The most recently reported case of mpox in the Central Region of Virginia occurred in November 2022," Cheryle Rodriguez , a spokesperson for the state's health department, told CBS News . The reason for the slowed case numbers may because people have died or developed immunity from infections. Other reasons may include changes in behavior and availability of a vaccine called Jynneos. The virus typically has been seen in men who have sex with men during the outbreak. Deaths have disproportionately been among Black men, CBS News reported. About 87% of deaths were in Black men, many of whom had advanced HIV, the CDC reported. "Infection-induced immunity of the individuals at the core of the sexual network generated 'network immunity,' which halted the epidemic," Dr. Christophe Van Dijck , of the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Belgium, suggested earlier this month during the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, CBS News reported. "An alternate explanation could be that countries with vaccination also mounted more aggressive responses overall, with strong campaigns to change behavior and raise awareness," the CDC's Andrea Stewart said recently during the Epidemic Intelligence Service conference, CBS News reported. "Countries that experienced more aggressive outbreaks early may have been more likely to implement vaccine campaigns early as well. Their outbreaks could have declined quickly due to population dynamics," Stewart said. Since the outbreak began last May, more than 30,000 people have been infected with the virus, which causes painful lesions, and 42 people have died, according to CDC data . Sources CBS News Posted April 2023