CoLucid Founder Passes Away

DURHAM, N.C., Feb. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- CoLucid Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company, mourns the passing of its founder, James F. White, Ph.D. on February 3rd, after a lengthy illness.  Jim co-founded CoLucid in 2005 with Art Pappas to develop lasmiditan, a first in class therapy for acute migraine.  Jim assembled an experienced management team and Scientific Advisory Board to progress lasmiditan through clinical development to become a Phase 3-ready compound.  Prior to CoLucid, Jim served as Chief Operating Officer and Vice President, Research for Hypnion, Inc., where he developed a novel therapy for sleep disorders, resulting in Hypnion's acquisition by Eli Lilly & Co. in 2006.  Jim was also a co-founder of Dynogen Inc. and a scientific adviser to other biotech companies. During a 22-year career with Eli Lilly, he held key positions including Head of Toxicology, Head of Central Nervous System, Gastrointestinal & Genitourinary Disease Research, and had responsibility for strategy and business development for the Neuroscience Global Business Unit. Jim received his B.S. in Chemistry and M.S. and Ph.D. in Pharmacology/Toxicology from Purdue University.  He was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus in 2003.

Jim leaves behind his wife, Linda, their son, Jarrett, and a large group of professional colleagues who knew him as their friend.  He will be greatly missed by all.

Visitation will be held Thursday, February 9th, from 4 – 8 PM at the Dee Funeral Home in Concord, MA, with services at Trinity Episcopal Church, Concord, MA at 2 PM Friday, February 10th. Burial will be in Greenfield, Indiana, with a memorial service in Indianapolis at a later date.

About CoLucid Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

CoLucid was founded in 2005 by Pappas Ventures to advance innovative drug candidates with the potential to provide safe and effective treatments for CNS disorders. The company's investors include Pappas Ventures, Domain Associates, Care Capital, Pearl Street Venture Funds and Triathlon Medical Ventures. The company's pipeline includes lasmiditan, a novel treatment for migraine, and a conjugated stigmine platform that has generated a series of preclinical candidates for wake promotion (COL-204), chronic pain, Alzheimer's disease and psychiatric disorders. For more information, please visit CoLucid at www.colucid.com.

SOURCE CoLucid Pharmaceuticals, Inc.