Prolacta Bioscience Adds Joe Fournell and Mitchell Kirk to Management Team
Red Orbit
Dec 13, 2006
By
Prolacta Bioscience, a privately held company that provides specialty formulations of human milk for the immunological and nutritional needs of premature and critically ill infants, announced today the addition of two key members of the management team. Joe Fournell has joined Prolacta as vice president of operations, and Mitchell A. Kirk has joined as vice president of sales and marketing. These two additions will round out the management team, which includes Elena Medo, founder and president; Nathen Fox, chief financial officer; Dr. David Rechtman, chief medical officer; and Dr. Martin Lee, chief scientific officer.
Mr. Fournell has over a decade of experience in operations and supply chain management for the high-tech and bioscience sectors. Most recently, he served as director of global logistics for the Bioscience division of Baxter Healthcare where he managed the transportation, warehousing, and distribution of over $3 billion in products globally. Mr. Kirk has spent nearly three decades in the pharmaceutical industry and has held sales and management positions at Schering-Plough, Glaxo, GlaxoSmithKline, and Valeant Pharmaceuticals. His broad experience includes having led the efforts for managed care, Medicare, and Medicaid reimbursement at Valeant.
"Both Joe and Mitch have the experience and understanding necessary to support the management team in reaching our overarching objectives," said Scott Elster, CEO of Prolacta. "These two gentlemen have the healthcare management expertise and the drive to help us fulfill our mission of helping critically ill babies."
Prolacta specializes in the nutritional needs of underweight, premature, and critically ill babies, focused on the first 30 days of life. Infants born weighing less than five pounds, eight ounces (2,500 grams) are considered low birth weight, and are at increased risk of serious health problems, lasting disabilities, and even death. About one in every 13 babies in the United States is born with low birth weight, and nationwide, approximately 500,000 babies are born prematurely each year, which is equal to nearly 12% of all U.S. births. The rate of preterm birth has increased 27 percent between 1982 and 2002, from 9.4 percent to 11.9 percent.
Prolacta's products, which are made of human milk, contain crucial antibodies from the mother that can help the baby resist infections and serious diseases, such as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), sepsis, bacterial meningitis, and ear infections. Human milk has been shown in clinical research studies to decrease the incidence of these conditions. The antibodies found in human milk, as well as other protective molecules are not present in other forms of milk, such as cow milk.
About Prolacta
Prolacta BioScience (www.prolacta.com) is a life science company dedicated to the application of science relating to human milk - one of nature's most complex and valuable substances. Our mission is to make a meaningful difference in the lives of thousands of the most vulnerable infants through world class research and innovative products. Prolacta offers a suite of specialty formulations of human milk for the nutritional and immunological needs of premature and critically ill infants. The company operates a pharmaceutical grade processing plant and has designed and patented processes unique to the science of human milk. Prolacta is committed to supporting research in the areas of human milk and premature infant nutrition in order to assist health care professionals in providing the best possible care for the most fragile babies.
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