ElexoPharm GmbH announced today the appointment of Professor Dr. Jürgen Engel as Chairman of its Advisory Board. He is going to support ElexoPharm's efforts to expand its activities in preclinical drug development and to build up strong alliances with big pharmaceutical companies. As Chairman of the Advisory Board he will give advice to ElexoPharm on all important strategic and commercial questions.

Currently, Prof. Engel is President and Chief Executive Officer of Æterna Zentaris Inc. in Quebec City, Canada, President of Æterna Zentaris Inc. in Warren, New Jersey, USA and Chairman and Managing Director of Æterna Zentaris GmbH, Frankfurt, Germany. He also serves as Director of the Board of Æterna Zentaris and Isotechnika. Furthermore he is adjunct professor in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Regensburg and Honorary Professor at the Technical University of Dresden.

Axel Koch, Managing Director of ElexoPharm, said: "We are delighted to have such an experienced and outstanding personality as Professor Engel as Chairman of our Advisory Board. This marks a further important step in ElexoPharm's relatively young but very successful company history."

Prof. Engel said: "I am extremely excited to work together with the young team of ElexoPharm on their innovative projects in cardiovascular disease and oncology."

About ElexoPharm - www.elexopharm.de
ElexoPharm is a German biotech company located in Saarbrücken which was founded as a spin-off from the Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry of Saarland University headed by Professor Rolf Hartmann. ElexoPharm is focused on preclinical medicinal chemistry research concerning the design and development of new drugs, using novel therapeutic approaches for human diseases, which are currently not or insufficiently treatable with existing drugs. ElexoPharm recently concluded a collaboration and exclusive worldwide license agreement with Merck & Co., Inc. Whitehouse Station, New Jersey USA (also known as MSD outside of the US and Canada) through an affiliate to develop and commercialize novel candidates targeting aldosterone synthase for the potential treatment of cardiovascular disease.