Proneuron Biotechnologies Welcomes Dr. Marca L. Sipski to the Company’s ProCord Study Steering Committee Guiding the Phase II Study of ProCord for Complete Spinal Cord Injury 

Los Angeles, California, September 7, 2004 --- Proneuron Biotechnologies announced today that Dr. Marca Sipski is the newest member of the Company’s Procord Study Steering Committee, tasked to oversee the Phase II study of ProCord, an experimental procedure for complete spinal cord injury now in progress in the U.S and Israel.   

Dr. Sipski is a Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Miami School of Medicine and the Director of a VA Rehabilitation Research Center of Excellence in Spinal Cord Injury. She is the President-Elect of the American Spinal Injury Association (2003-2005) and the author of tens of books, monographs, chapters, original peer-reviewed articles, academic and consumer publications, and abstracts pertaining to spinal cord injury.

Sipski joins the following prominent spinal cord injury specialists in the ProCord study steering committee: Dr. Daniel P. Lammertse, Dr. Edward Benzel and Dr. Nachshon Knoller.   Dr. Lammertse is the Medical Director at Craig Hospital and the Associate Editor of the Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine.  He is also the immediate past President of the American Spinal Injury Association (1999-2002). Dr. Benzel is the Chairman of the Cleveland Clinic Spine Institute. He is the author of three U.S. patents in the area of spine surgery and is the 1996 recipient of the American Academy of Neurological and Orthopaedic Surgeons Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Benzel is a member of the Spine Universe Editorial Board.  Dr. Knoller is a neurosurgeon and the Head of the Spinal Surgery Unit at Chaim Sheba Medical Center in Israel. He is the secretary of the Israeli Neurological Society and the lead Israeli investigator in other high profile trials including the Phase II clinical study of a drug for severe head trauma patients. 

“Proneuron’s study of ProCord is cutting edge and certainly one of the most exciting spinal cord injury research projects existing today. The Phase I results to date indicate that further investigation is definitely warranted.  I am pleased to be a part of the high caliber steering committee guiding this initiative,” said Dr. Sipski. 

Dr. Sipski graduated Penn State University in 1981 and Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia in 1983.  She has served as an Associate Professor at the Department of Rehabilitation of Medicine at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School as well as an Associate Professor for Clinical Rehabilitation Medicine at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.   She has also worked as Director of SCI Services at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation.

Sipski is a member of a series of industry organizations including the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, the American Medical Association, the American Medical Women’s Association and the American Paraplegia Society.  She has been invited to give hundreds of guest lectures throughout the years and is the recipient of numerous awards.  In 2002, Sipski received the Sell Award for Most Outstanding Paper published by an American Spinal Injury Association member; in the same year she was honored with the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Education and Research Foundation Award for Best Paper published by an Established Physiatrist in any Journal.  

“Clearly we are delighted that Dr. Sipski has joined the Proneuron team.  The committee is in charge of monitoring and supervising the trial.  Dr. Sipski is the perfect addition to the currently prestigious group that is shepherding the ProCord study,” said Proneuron V.P. of Clinical Development, Dr. David Snyder. 

The international, multi-center, randomized-controlled study of ProCord is currently enrolling patients at the following sites: Craig Hopsital in Colorado, Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in New Jersey, The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, the Shepherd Center in Georgia and the Chaim Sheba Medical Center in Israel. For additional information concerning the Phase II study of ProCord, please visit the Proneuron web site at: www.proneuron.com.

About Proneuron Biotechnologies
 

Proneuron is a privately held biopharmaceutical company developing products for the medical treatment of spinal cord injuries and other disorders of the central nervous system. Its products are based on proprietary technology for modulating the interaction between the nervous and immune systems. The company's products are currently being evaluated in several clinical studies located in the U.S., Belgium and Israel. These include: an independently managed, international, multi-center, randomized-controlled Phase II trial of ProCord, autologous incubated macrophages, an experimental procedure for spinal cord injuries and a Phase II program of Cop-1 for the treatment of Glaucoma and other neurodegenerative diseases. The latter is being managed by Teva as part of the Proneuron’s strategic collaboration for development and commercialization of Cop-1 for various neurodegenerative indications. The Company is also developing PN277 for the treatment of additional neurological diseases. 

Press inquires: Marjie Hadad, Media Liaison, Proneuron, Marjie.hadad@proneuron.com; +972-54-536-5220.