caprotec bioanalytics GmbH Appoints Prof. Dr. Rainer Metternich as Managing Director, Chief Business Officer and Chief Operating Officer

BERLIN and BURLINGTON, Mass., Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- caprotec bioanalytics GmbH announced today the appointment of Prof. Dr. Rainer Metternich as Managing Director, Chief Business Officer and Chief Operating Officer of the company.  Prior to joining caprotec, Prof. Metternich held senior leadership positions at Merck & Co., Schering AG and Novartis.

"Professor Metternich is a prominent and respected leader in the global pharmaceutical industry," said caprotec founder and CEO Prof. Dr. Hubert Koster. "We are delighted to have him join caprotec's management team.  His leadership experience, comprehensive knowledge of the drug discovery and development process, and international research network are exactly what we need for the future growth of our company."

"caprotec's exciting CCMS technology has an enormous potential to increase the success rate of drug development due to its capability to determine drug targets and mode of action and to understand adverse side effects causing protein interactions early in the drug development process," stated Prof. Metternich. "Of particular value is that this information can be generated from the human proteome, including the medically most important membrane proteins.  Thus CCMS has the potential to address one of the most daunting issues of the drug development process: the attrition rate."

"The technology has already been validated by proof-of-concept experiments, described in experimental detail in several peer-reviewed publications and has led to several research collaborations with the pharmaceutical industry," continued Prof. Metternich.  "I look forward to contributing to the successful commercialization of this technology in its broad range of applications."

"From an investor's point of view, this is the ideal situation.  caprotec has now completed its management team with scientific, managerial and entrepreneurial skills on a world-class level," stated Karlheinz Schmelig, Partner with Creathor Ventures and Ute Mercker, Fond Manager at Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH of the Investitionsbank Berlin.

Before joining caprotec, Prof. Metternich was Vice President and Basic Research Site Head at Merck & Co in West Point, PA. Prior to that, he was Executive Vice President and Member of the Executive Committee at Schering AG in Berlin, and, before that, was Global Senior Chemistry Expert at Novartis in Basel.  He earned his doctorate degree in organic chemistry from the University at Marburg, Germany, was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University with Professor David A. Evans and spent a Sabbatical at the University of California, Berkeley with Professor Paul A. Bartlett. He is on the editorial board of several leading scientific journals and a member of several Scientific Advisory Boards of academic, private and non-profit research organizations. He is the author of many peer-reviewed scientific publications.

About caprotec bioanalytics GmbH

caprotec bioanalytics is headquartered in Berlin, Germany with a US subsidiary in Burlington, MA. The company focuses on the commercialization of its proprietary Capture Compound Mass Spectrometry™ (CCMS) technology. The core of the CCMS technology consists of small, tri-functional molecules called Capture Compounds (CCs). They enable a targeted isolation of proteins directly from complex biological samples. After isolation the captured proteins are identified and characterized by mass spectrometry. Providing a state-of-the-art platform for the isolation and analysis of proteins from complex mixtures, the CCMS technology has enormous potential in proteomics, drug development and the development of biomarkers. The technology is protected by a broad patent portfolio. The company is supported by an international scientific advisory board including one Nobel Laureate.

www.caprotec.com

SOURCE caprotec bioanalytics GmbH