What Happened?
Warrington, PA-based Discovery Labs Inc Appointed John Cooper as Chief Executive Officer
About the Company
Discovery Laboratories, Inc. is a specialty biotechnology company focused on advancing a new standard in respiratory critical care. Discovery Labs` technology platform includes its novel proprietary KL4 surfactant, a synthetic, peptide-containing surfactant that is structurally similar to pulmonary surfactant, and its proprietary drug delivery technologies being developed to enable efficient delivery of aerosolized KL4 surfactant and other inhaled therapies. Discovery Labs` strategy is initially focused on neonatology and improving the management of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in premature infants. Discovery Labs believes that its RDS product portfolio has the potential to become the new standard of care for RDS and, over time, enable the treatment of a significantly greater number of premature infants who could benefit from surfactant therapy that are currently not being treated. In many pulmonary diseases, including RDS, acute lung injury (ALI), and other respiratory conditions, surfactant is either deficient or may fail to function properly. Our precision-engineered, peptide-containing KL4 surfactant has been designed to mimic the essential function of human pulmonary surfactant and may have the potential to address conditions such as these. We are developing our proprietary delivery technologies to one day enable efficient, targeted upper-respiratory or alveolar delivery of our KL4 surfactant in aerosolized form to allow for a gentler, less invasive delivery approach. These same delivery systems may also potentially be used to deliver a variety of additional aerosolized medicines safely and in a simplified way compared with the current standard of care.
About the Person
John Cooper is currently the CEO and President and has served on the Company`s board of directors since January 2013. Mr. Cooper has been with Discovery Labs since 2001; he was appointed President and CFO in 2010 after nearly 6 years as Executive Vice President and CFO. Mr. Cooper has over 25 years of experience managing emerging growth companies in the life sciences industry, and brings extensive experience in general management, strategic and corporate development, financings, strategic alliances and acquisitions, investor relations, and financial management. Previously, Mr. Cooper was Senior Vice President and CFO at Chrysalis International Corporation, a public company formed through the merger of DNX Corporation, a leader in transgenic biotechnology, and BioClin International. Mr. Cooper managed the 1991 initial public offering of DNX, the formation of a joint venture with Baxter Health Care focused on genetically engineered organ and blood substitute products, and the successful negotiation and integration of strategic acquisitions including the merger that formed Chrysalis. Mr. Cooper`s leadership contributed in establishing Chrysalis as a leading supplier of drug development services with operating companies in seven countries and over 250 biopharmaceutical clients. In 1999, Mr. Cooper managed the acquisition of Chrysalis by Phoenix International, Inc., an MDS Pharma company. Previously, Mr. Cooper held senior financial management roles at ENI Diagnostics, a public biotechnology company and leader in AIDS diagnostics, where he was a member of the executive management committee and played an integral role in its acquisition by Pharmacia AB. Previously, he held financial roles at C.R. Bard, a leading developer of innovative medical devices and Warner Cosmetics, a joint venture between Warner Communications and Lauren Cosmetics. Mr. Cooper received his B.S. in Commerce from Rider University and is a certified public accountant.
Info Source
Press Release
Short Profile