Cancer Therapeutics,
Inc. (OTCBB: CTHP), an emerging biotechnology business incubator with a
specific emphasis on disruptive cancer treatments and nanotechnology, announced
today it has named Dr. Mark Kester to its Advisory Board. Dr. Kester is the
G. Thomas Passananti Professor of Pharmacology at Penn State Hershey College
of Medicine. He becomes the latest member of the company's board and joins Caroline
V. Corner, PhD.
"Dr. Kester will be a vital part of our newly formed board due to his
exceptional expertise with nanotechnology as well as his creation and development
of innovative medical techniques," said Chene Gardner, President and CEO
of Cancer Therapeutics, Inc. "Dr. Kester's combined experience as a doctor,
author, researcher and businessman are ideally suited for this role. We are
anxious to get him involved with the ongoing development of our company."
Before accepting his prestigious endowed professorship, he was a Distinguished
Professor of Pharmacology as well as Interim Chair of Pharmacology. Dr. Kester's
research interests include the design, characterization and validation of nanotechnologies
for targeted drug delivery. His laboratory has evaluated nanoliposomes, nanodendrimers
and nanocolloids as effective drug delivery vehicles for pharmacological and
molecular agents. Recent work focuses on nontoxic nanoscale systemic delivery
systems for hydrophobic pro-apoptotic lipids as well as siRNAs that target mutated
tumorigenic proteins.
Dr. Kester's research regarding a molecule called ceramide has led to the development
of a drug-eluting device that locally delivered ceramide to prevent restenosis
(reblockage) after coronary angioplasty or stenting. The ceramide-coated catheter
and stent ushered in the field of ceramide therapeutics. Dr. Kester's technology
was licensed to REVA Medical, Inc. in San Diego CA., a Group Outcome- and Domain
Partners-backed company. Dr. Kester was instrumental in sublicensing the ceramide-coated
balloon catheter technology to Edward Life Sciences, CA for treatment of injured
large arteries. REVA Medical partnered with Boston Scientific, MA to commercialize
CASPERTM, the friendly resorbable stent that could deliver drugs with defined
kinetics. Dr. Kester is still a consultant for REVA Medical and along with Penn
State Research Foundation is a stock-holder.
Dr. Kester along with Dr. James Adair, Director of the National Science Foundation
Particulate Material Center at Penn State, invented the NanoJacket, a non-toxic
non-aggregating shell that cages and protects drugs, such as ceramide. Dr. Kester
founded Keystone Nano, Inc., University Park, PA to commercialize the technology.
Dr. Kester helped form two "sister" companies to exploit specific
attributes of the NanoJacket technology. One of these companies, NanoSpecialities,
has partnered with Nalco, Inc, Naperville IL, a $3 billion marketcap chemical
company, to utilize NanoJackets in non-medical industrial applications. This
joint venture has generated over $3 million in funding and is expecting a multimillion
dollar product by 4th quarter 2009. The second sister company is NanoTherapeutics,
Va, which is developing NanoJackets for both drug delivery and bioimaging of
leukemias and lymphomas.
Dr. Kester has consulted for numerous industrial, pharmaceutical and academic
organizations through his company NanoMyte, Inc. In addition, Dr. Kester is
an acclaimed author, as his textbook Integrated Pharmacology, published by Elsevier,
Ltd. was just recognized as "highly commended textbook" of 2009 by
the British Medical Society.
Cancer Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology business incubator, with a specific
emphasis on disruptive treatments and nanotechnology. It seeks out disruptive
cancer research and technology opportunities to invest in, develop, and commercialize.
The end result will be therapies, treatments, and pharmaceuticals targeted at
more efficiently and effectively attacking cancer. CTI seeks partners to co-develop
drugs in various stages in our pipeline.