Press Releases
03/07/02
CEREGENE ANNOUNCES ADDITIONS TO MANAGEMENT TEAM
Dominick Vacante, Ph.D., and Brooks Ensign Assume Key Positions in Product and Business Development
SAN DIEGO, Calif., March 7, 2002—Ceregene, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on gene therapies for neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, announced today the appointment of two new members to its management team.
Dominick Vacante, Ph.D., has joined Ceregene as senior director of product development. Dr. Vacante has 13 years of experience in the manufacturing of biotechnology products and has extensive knowledge of the development and manufacturing of viral gene delivery systems in the GLP/GMP (Good Laboratory Practices/Good Manufacturing Practices) environment. Prior to joining Ceregene, he was director of research and development at BioReliance, Inc. where he was a founder of their viral vector manufacturing operation. He previously served on the staff of the Infectious Diseases Branch of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Vacante holds a Ph.D. degree in biochemistry and completed post-doctoral training in molecular biology.
Brooks Ensign has joined Ceregene as director of business development. Mr. Ensign recently served as director of business development with AVIVA Biosciences, where he led fund-raising, technology licensing, and public relations programs. His previous positions included negotiating international pharmaceutical acquisitions at ICN Pharmaceuticals and supporting the launch of two novel biotechnology products with Advanced Tissue Sciences. Mr. Ensign holds an M.B.A. degree from Harvard Business School.
"Ceregene is pleased to welcome Dominick Vacante, Ph.D. and Brooks Ensign, who bring critical skills to Ceregene as we accelerate our product and business development programs," stated Jeffrey M. Ostrove, Ph.D., president and chief operating officer of Ceregene. "We have also recently recruited talented neuroscientists and molecular biologists in our ongoing efforts to build our research and development team."
Ceregene, Inc. is a San Diego-based biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of gene therapies for neurological disorders including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Ceregene was launched in January 2001 as a majority-owned subsidiary of Cell Genesys, Inc. (Nasdaq: CEGE), which is headquartered in Foster City, CA