TMCnet News

IASO BioMed Announces Addition of Four Members to Its Scientific Advisory Board
[November 13, 2018]

IASO BioMed Announces Addition of Four Members to Its Scientific Advisory Board


Company developing a Next Generation Treatment for Low Testosterone

CENTENNIAL, Colo., Nov. 13, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IASO BioMed, Inc. (“IASO” or the “Company”), an innovative biotechnology company dedicated to developing its first-in-class Next Generation Treatment for Low Testosterone, announced today the addition to its Scientific Advisory Board (“SAB”) of an esteemed group of scientific and business leaders chosen to counsel the company on the development and impact of its technologies globally.

The new advisors include:

  • Lewis Blumenthal, M.D.
  • Ravi Kacker, M.D.
  • Fred Mermelstein, Ph.D.
  • Barry R. Zirkin, Ph.D.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Drs. Blumenthal, Kacker, Mermelstein and Zirkin to join Drs. Papadopoulos and Karatzas on the IASO Scientific Advisory Board,” commented Chief Executive Officer Mr. Richard Schell.  “The depth and breadth of knowledge and experience represented by these individuals in preclinical, clinical research and practice, product development and expertise in the areas of pharmacology, andrology, urology, and obstetrics/gynecology is exceptional.  Our SAB members possess significant and diverse experience in academia, drug research and development as well as regulatory, business development and venture capital expertise,” continued Mr. Schell.

“We believe the extensive knowledge and experience of our SAB will prove invaluable as IASO works to develop our first-in-class products for global markets,” stated Duane Knight, Chief Financial Officer of IASO.

Lewis Blumenthal, M.D.

Dr. Blumenthal graduated Northwestern University with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, graduated University of Illinois with a Medical Degree and Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society award, and completed residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago.  He is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and has maintained a private practice in Obstetrics and Gynecology for over thirty-five years.  Dr. Blumenthal has been Chairman of the Obstetrics and Gynecology departments at Michael Reese hospital for eight years and MetroSouth Medical Center for ten years and achieved Clinical Assistant Professor level at University of Illinois.  He has taught a laparoscopic gynecology surgical course and published original articles pertaining to obstetrics and gynecology.  Dr. Blumenthal has been founder and board member of several healthcare companies.

Ravi Kacker, M.D.

Dr. Kacker is a board-certified urologist, entrepreneur, and drug developer. He completed undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering and his medical school at Northwestern University prior to his Urology residency and fellowship through Harvard Medical School.He later served as an Instructor in Urology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center prior to founding MetroWest Urologic Associates in Natick, Massachusetts. Dr. Kacker's clinical practice covers all areas of male and female urology but has a specialty focus in male hormonal health, sexual dysfunction, and prostate problems. Dr. Kacker is a co-founder and CEO of MHB Labs, an early stage specialty biopharmaceutical company developing the first controlled release form of recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin, with applications in male hormonal health and breast cancer.  He also serves as a consultant and contract drug developer to established biopharmaceutical companies.



Fred Mermelstein, Ph.D.

Dr. Mermelstein currently is a Partner of Ascentia Asset Management, Inc.  He currently serves on several boards, including, the Harvard Institute of RNA Medicine, Rogosin Institute, Cornell-Weill Medical Center, SanaRx, Advantagene, NX PharmaGen, and Raqia.  He also serves as a mentor to the Northeastern University Health Sciences Program and to the Harvard Medical School Biotech Incubator and Lecturer, Dept. of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics, Microbiology and Immunology at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Mermelstein was the founder of Javelin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (JAV), which was acquired by Hospira, Inc., now Pfizer. He has served as the CEO and President of Javelin, which has brought to market in Europe DylojectTM, an injectable anti-inflammatory for the treatment of post-operative pain. He was the founder of PolaRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., where he also served as Chief Scientific Officer, and was responsible for bringing TrisenoxTM (Arsenic Trioxide for the treatment of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia) to NDA completion, now marketed and sold worldwide by Teva. He also served as Director of Paramount Capital Investments, Inc. and General Partner of the Orion Biomedical Fund. Dr. Mermelstein received a Ph.D. joint degree in pharmacology and toxicology at Rutgers University and University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (UMDNJ-RWJ) and completed his post-doctoral training as a research fellow of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute located at UMDNJ-RWJ and BS, MS in Toxicology from Northeastern University.


Barry R. Zirkin, Ph.D.

Barry Zirkin received his Ph.D. from the University of Rochester. After a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California Davis and 3 years as Assistant Professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology, he joined the faculty of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 1974. He was promoted to Professor in 1981. He served as Head of the Division of Reproductive Biology, initially in the Department and Population Dynamics and subsequently in the Department of Biochemistry. He holds joint appointments in the School of Arts and Science and the School of Medicine. One major research focus in the Zirkin lab is on the molecular regulation of Leydig cell steroidogenic function during aging; and in particular on the role of oxidative stress resulting from increased production of reactive oxygen and decreases in cellular antioxidant defenses. A second focus is on the regulation of the stem cells that ultimately give rise to adult Leydig cells. A third is on the regulation of mammalian spermatogenesis. Dr. Zirkin's research activities have resulted in over 250 publications. Dr. Zirkin is an elected American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow, and was a MERIT Awardee of the National Institute of Aging. He received the Distinguished Service and Distinguished Andrologist awards of the American Society of Andrology (ASA). He has served as President of ASA and of the North American Testis Workshop. He has received teaching awards from the Johns Hopkins School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Public Health.

About IASO BioMed, Inc.
IASO BioMed, Inc. is a privately-held developmental stage biotechnology company focusing on researching and developing a Next Generation Treatment for Low Testosterone the Company believes will be a safer non-abusable alternative to currently available testosterone replacement therapy by stimulating the body's own production of testosterone to help restore normal physiology rather than using exogenous synthetic hormones. IASO is presently a voluntary public filer with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains certain “forward-looking statements,” as defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and the actual results and future events could differ materially from management’s current expectations. The economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors identified in the Company’s previous filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements in this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

For further information contact:
Duane C. Knight, CFO
IASO BioMed, Inc.
(720) 389-0650
[email protected]

Iaso logo.png


[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]