Eric Klann appointed to the Egenix Scientific Advisory Committee

MILLBROOK, N.Y., Sept. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Donald Fresne, President and CEO of Egenix, Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of Eric Klann, Ph.D. to the Scientific Advisory Committee. Dr. Klann is a professor in the Center for Neural Science at New York University.

The first to demonstrate that eIF4E-dependent translation is required for long-lasting synaptic plasticity and long-term memory. More recently discovered that overexpression of eIF4E causes synaptic and behavioral aberrations associated with autism.

Recently demonstrated that suppressions of eIF2α phosphorylation prevents synaptic and memory deficits in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Serves as an editor and editorial board member of numerous journals including the Journal of Neuroscience. Recipient of multiple research awards and member of numerous international scientific societies. Currently the President of the Molecular and Cellular Cognition Society.

Egenix is a privately held, New York-based biotechnology company focused on the development of innovative cancer therapeutics. The company's therapeutic platform technology consists of small molecule drugs applicable for the treatment and prevention of a broad spectrum of cancers, autism, and Alzheimer's. Our lead drug candidates inhibit the "translation initiation factor" eIF4E, specifically blocking production of multiple cancer promoting proteins and promoting apoptosis (programmed cell death) and upregulation of tumor suppressor genes. The company licensed this technology from Harvard Medical School in 2007. eIF4E is an attractive cancer therapeutic target because every function necessary for cancer growth and metastasis is influenced or mediated be a gene product that is regulated by this translation initiation factor. Data from human cancer xenograft studies using two of our lead compounds tested against breast cancer and melanoma demonstrated 100% tumor inhibition and 20% to 30% tumor reduction. For more information visit www.egenixinc.com

SOURCE Egenix, Inc.