Biothera Names William J. Grossman, M.D., Ph.D.,
SVP of Research & Development
EAGAN, MN — March 7, 2011 — William J. Grossman, M.D., Ph.D., has joined Biothera as Senior Vice President, Research & Development with responsibility for all of the company’s nonclinical immunology research, the company announced today.
Before joining Biothera, Dr. Grossman was North American Medical Director at Baxter Healthcare Corporation where he was responsible for providing clinical, scientific and strategic leadership for immunology and immunoglobulin products in the United States.
Previously, he was Clinical Director in Oncology at Merck & Co., Inc. where he was the clinical lead on several oncology studies (Phase 1 through Phase 3), including a novel tumor vaccine program.
Dr. Grossman received his M.D. and Ph.D. in Immunology through the Medical Scientist Training Program at Washington University in St. Louis. There he demonstrated the central role of the Tax gene of the Human T-Lymphotrophic Virus (HTLV-1) in the development of HTLV-1-associated leukemia/lymphoma.
He completed a residency in Pediatrics followed by a fellowship in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplantation, both at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. His fellowship included concentrating on improving the diagnosis and treatment of Primary Immunodeficiency Disease (PIDD) patients using new flow cytometry techniques and BMT conditioning regimens. During his post-doctoral fellowship at Washington University, Dr. Grossman and his colleagues discovered a novel mechanism used by human T regulatory cells in controlling normal immune and autoimmune responses.
Dr. Grossman moved his laboratory and clinical practice to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin (CHW) in Milwaukee Wisconsin, where he continued his basic and translational research in T regulatory cells, Tumor Immunology, and human immunoregulation of Influenza infections. He also established the first Clinical Immunology clinic at CHW as well as a BMT program specializing in the treatment of severe PIDD patients.
He took on increasing responsibilities in the BMT and Immunology programs, including establishing the Clinical Immunology and Research Laboratory as Medical Director, which went on to receive recognition as a Jeffrey Modell Immunodiagnostic Center of Excellence. The establishment of the Immunology Clinic and Diagnostic Center were essential to the development of the first genetic State Newborn Screening (NBS) Program for severe T lymphopenia/Severe Combined Immunodeficiencies, which Dr. Grossman and several colleagues at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene started in 2007. Dr. Grossman remains active in the NBS program as it finishes its third year having screened over 200,000 newborns in the State of Wisconsin, which has led to the successful early diagnosis of several PIDD newborns leading to life-saving bone marrow transplantations.
About Biothera, the Immune Health Company
Biothera is a privately held biotechnology company dedicated to improving immune health. The company has a unique technology that it is commercializing through two business groups. Biothera Healtcare Group manufactures and markets Wellmune WGP and other natural immune health ingredients for the food, beverage, supplement, cosmetic and animal health markets. Biothera Pharmaceutical Group is dveloping pharmaceuticals that engage the innate immune system to fight cancer. Its lead cancer drug Imprime PGG is currently in multiple Phase 2 clinical trials for nonsmall cell lung and colorectal cancer.
Contact:
David Walsh
VP Communications
Biothera, the Immune Health Company
651-256-4606 (direct)
dwalsh@biothera.com