Topaz Pharmaceuticals Names Dr. Mark Strobeck Chief Business Officer

HORSHAM, Pa., Jan. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Topaz Pharmaceuticals Inc., a privately held specialty pharmaceutical company focused on dermatology and pediatrics, today announced that Mark Strobeck, Ph.D., has been appointed vice president and chief business officer. In his new role Dr. Strobeck will report to Robert Radie, president and chief executive officer, and will be responsible for managing business development, corporate strategy and financings.

"We are pleased to welcome to the Topaz management team Mark, a proven leader with a significant track record of success, who will lead our business development efforts," said Robert Radie, president and chief executive officer of Topaz. "With our lead product candidate nearing the final stage of development, we are building our commercial capabilities and interested in extending our business development reach."

Dr. Strobeck has decades of experience in the pharmaceutical and financial industry. Most recently, he served as chief business officer of Trevena, Inc., a pharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of GPCR biased ligands. Before joining Trevena he served as vice president of business development at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) where he led the business development efforts for the company's clinical and preclinical stage assets. He also served as vice president of business development for the center of excellence for external drug discovery, a research and development division within GSK. Prior to this role Dr. Strobeck was a principal at SR One Ltd., the wholly owned venture capital arm of GSK.

Dr. Strobeck earned a Ph.D. in pharmacology and cell biophysics from the University of Cincinnati. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship in cardiovascular medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and has a bachelor's degree from St. Lawrence University.

About Topaz Pharmaceuticals Topaz Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a privately held specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing treatments primarily for pediatric and dermatology markets. The company's lead investigational product is a topical cream formulation of ivermectin currently under development for the treatment of head lice in children and adults which affects between six and 12 million people every year. The company has recently concluded two phase 3 studies of ivermectin for this potential indication and expects to file a new drug application this year. Topaz, headquartered in Horsham, PA, is backed by top-tier investors including Aisling Capital and Fidelity Biosciences. For more information about Topaz Pharmaceuticals Inc., please visit www.topazpharma.com.

SOURCE Topaz Pharmaceuticals Inc.