Copenhagen, 24 August 2010 - Today, NeuroSearch A/S (NEUR), a leading CNS
focused and European based biopharmaceutical company announced the appointment
of Patrik Dahlen as new CEO of the company. With effect from 15 September 2010,
Patrik Dahlen will replace CEO Flemming Pedersen, who resigns to take up a new
position in another company.
Patrik Dahlen (born 1962) brings more than 17 years of broad-based managerial
experience from the international life science industry, covering drug
discovery, product development, production, marketing and sales. His former
career includes nearly eight years with PerkinElmer (NYSE: PKI), where he built
the company's global Life Sciences unit and held positions as President and
Senior Vice President with basis in the US. Further, Patrik Dahlen has served
more than three years as the CEO of Dako, a world-leading cancer diagnostics
company with 1,000 employees and over DKK 1.5 billion in revenues, where he in
his first two years streamlined the company and repositioned it for cancer
diagnostics leadership. Patrik Dahlen holds a PhD in Biochemistry and he joins
NeuroSearch from a current position as CEO in Chempaq A/S. See attached CV
resume for additional information on Patrik Dahlen's background and
competences.
Thomas Hofman-Bang, Chairman of the Board in NeuroSearch, commented:
"I am very pleased to be able to announce the appointment of Patrik Dahlen as
the new CEO of NeuroSearch. Patrik Dahlen has ample experience in the effective
management of commercially driven organisations combined with a comprehensive
understanding of R&D based business entities. I am convinced that he holds the
exact right competences to ensure the continued successful development of
NeuroSearch towards commercialisation and profitability."
Patrik Dahlen, newly appointed CEO of NeuroSearch, commented;
"I am excited about the opportunity to take part in the continued development
of NeuroSearch with a view to building a long term profitable specialty pharma
company. NeuroSearch stands today as a renowned R&D driven CNS drug company,
with highly promising potential for further value creation. It is an exciting
time to join NeuroSearch as Huntexil® is nearing the commercialisation phase
and the company will need to start accelerating the development of sales and
marketing competencies."
Thomas Hofman-Bang
Chairman of the Board
Contact persons
Thomas Hofman-Bang, Chairman of the Board, telephone; +45 4348 3202
Hanne Leth Hillman, Vice President, Director of IR & Corporate Communications,
telephone; +45 4460 8212 or +45 4017 5103
About NeuroSearch - Company profile
NeuroSearch A/S is a leading CNS focused and European based biopharmaceutical
company listed on NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen A/S (NEUR). The company's core business
is development of novel drugs to treat diseases of the central nervous system,
and the pipeline comprises eight products in clinical development (Phase
I-III). These include Huntexil® (pridopidine), a unique orphan drug in Phase
III development for the treatment of Huntington's disease, and tesofensine
ready for Phase III development as a novel treatment of obesity.
NeuroSearch is founded on a well-established drug discovery platform in the
field of ion channels and monoamine transporters, holding also a broad
portfolio of preclinical drug candidates. The company has strategic drug
discovery alliances with Janssen Pharmaceutica and Eli Lilly as well as a
licence collaboration with Abbott. Further, NeuroSearch has equity interests in
a number of private health care companies.
-------------
Patrik Dahlen - CV resume
Born: 1962 in Åbo, Finland
Civil status: Married, five children (three from previous marriage).
Residential in Denmark
Nationality: Finnish
To request high resolution pictures of Patrik Dahlen, send an e-mail to
hsp@neurosearch.dk
Primary professional achievements
Patrik Dahlen has several years of international CEO experience and a broad
managerial background in life sciences R&D and Operations, as well as Sales and
Marketing. Patrik Dahlen is scientifically savvy and commercially astute,
driven by bringing new and exciting products to the market. His professional
achievements demonstrate that he can quickly leverage his understanding of a
market and the competitive landscape to effectively advance and grow his own
business.
As CEO for Dako A/S, a world leading cancer diagnostics company with 1,000
employee's and revenues of over DKK 1.5 billion, Mr. Dahlen successfully
implemented a focused strategy, leading to higher sales growth and markedly
increased profitability. He instituted a new performance focused approach to
leadership and attracted top talent to expand Dako's core competencies.
Further, he led the company through the acquisition of a Norwegian instruments
company.
As the CEO for BioImage A/S, a venture cap backed biotech company, based in
Medicon Valley, Denmark and focused on cell-based systems for drug development,
Patrik Dahlen took the company through two rounds of financing - raising more
than 30M euro's total and secured a number of licensing deals with among others
Lexicon Genetics, Amersham Biosciences, Eli Lilly, BMS, and Altana.
In PerkinElmer, Patrik Dahlen was appointed President for the company's Life
Science entity which he built from a diverse, relatively unknown corporate unit
to one of the leading drug discovery tools and genetic screening businesses
with a world known brand name and reputation and sales around $500 million. As
part of Patrik Dahlen's other achievements, he accelerated R&D with focus on
the product portfolio, increased sales with up to 20% organic growth per year,
and finally succeeded in managing an international business with six global
sites.
Professional carrier overview:
2009 - 2010 CEO, Chempaq,A/S (www.chempaq.com), Denmark
2005 - 2009 CEO, Dako A/S (www.dako.com), Denmark
2001 - 2005 CEO, BioImage A/S (www.bioimage.com), Denmark
1999 - 2001 President - PerkinElmer Life Sciences, USA
Senior VP - PerkinElmer (NYSE: PKI, www.perkinelmer.com), USA
1999 - 1999 General Manager - EG&G Reticon, USA
1995 - 1999 Director of Diagnostics Division - EG&G Wallac, USA
1994 - 1995 Division Head for Diagnostics Systems Division - EG&G Wallac,
Finland
1990 - 1994 Senior Researcher/Product line manager - Wallac OY, Finland
1988 - 1990 Project leader, DNA probes - Pharmacia Genetic Engineering, USA
1984 - 1988 Junior researcher/Senior researcher/Project leader - Wallac OY,
Finland
Educational background
1991 Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Turku University, Finland
Thesis: Time-Resolved Fluorometry in DNA Hybridization Assays
1985 M.Sc. Biochemistry, Åbo Akademi, Finland
