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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jim Van Eerden 336.616.3000 PharmAfrican and BDA Foundation Announce
Strategic Partnership with Guilford College
Montreal, May 14, 2007 - PharmAfrican, the Montreal-based biopharma company that recently announced an ambitious program to create a sustainable biopharma venture in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Africa, has appointed Dr. Bryan Brendley, a biology professor at Guilford College, Greensboro, NC, to be a member of its Scientific Advisory Board.Montreal-Based Biopharma Company engages Dr. Bryan Brendley and other Guilford College resources as part of 'Principled Problem-Solving' Initiative This announcement is part of a larger alliance being developed between PharmAfrican and Guilford College, which is expected to include student exchange programs, greenhouse research on campus, case study development, and a host of other joint efforts under the oversight of Brendley and Kent Chabotar, President of Guilford College. "Guilford College is a logical partner for us because of their historic faith tradition and current leadership and direction. We have seen at the College an emphasis on trying to solve problems with innovation, but also with appropriate ethical principles," commented Carole Robert, CEO of PharmAfrican. "In Africa, this means developing business models that create financial returns along with sustainable environments and economic development." "We are fostering the pursuit of what we call 'principled problem-solving' here at Guilford College," Dr.. Chabotar noted. "This partnership is a dynamic example of our efforts in this regard." PharmAfrican was founded simultaneously with the launch of BDA Foundation, a Canada-U.S. non-profit with the goal of creating sustainable development models for a pharmaceutical industry throughout Africa. "BDA" stands for "Biotechnology for Sustainable Development in Africa." BDA Foundation will also collaborate with Guilford College in helping to create service projects in the Congo, especially in the Kisantu Gardens, where PharmAfrican partners have managed botanical gardens for more than a century. Kisantu Gardens has been named a "World Heritage Site" by UNESCO. Guilford College joins other prestigious institutions including the University of Montreal, Institut Superieure Agro-Veterinaire (in Kinshasa, Congo) and TransBIOTech (Canada), among others. Others serving on the Scientific Advisory Board with Dr.Brendley include Dr. Elizabeth Vadas, President of InSciTech (Board Chair), Professor Ong Hui, Profesor , Department of Pharmacy, University of Montreal, Dr. Isabelle Pelletier, Patent lawyer, Goudreau, Gage Dubuc, Dr. Yvan Boutin, Immunologist and Microbiologist, TransBIOTech, and Sue Wehner, President, Med-Script Associates Ltd. "Given the need for new botanical solutions to address unsolved health problems, and the unique repository of plants in the Congo that are not known to exist anywhere else, I feel very privileged to be part of this venture," Brendley said. "We believe we can make a real difference in the world." PharmAfrican received start-up funding through The Helixx Group, LLC. Co-founder and Managing Partner Jim Van Eerden lives in Greensboro and brought the company to Guilford's and Brendley's attention. Brendley did his doctoral research at Penn State in plant physiology. Van Eerden is a member of the BDA Board and serves as an advisor to both PharmAfrican and the Foundation, and will be part of a delegation visiting the Congo this June. "We are trying to create a 'poster child' plant that helps us solve a medical problem while also highlighting the need for sustainable economic and environmental development," Van Eerden said. "Imagine a biopharma product from Africa, derived from a plant that must be grown in its native environment to have the effective elements for a cure. That is what we have in the first products PharmAfrican will bring to market." Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean of the College, Adrienne Israel, specialized in African History and is very familiar with the challenges and opportunities that face the continent. "We believe that new approaches are required so that Africa's resources can benefit the world, while benefiting the people there in appropriate measure," Dr. Israel noted. "PharmAfrican and The BDA Foundation seem to be examples of the right kind of approach that will help us to create a better, stronger, healthier Africa."
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09 September 2010
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