MDS Pharma Services Strengthens Medical Leadership in Phase IIa Clinical Research
28 August 2008 - 2:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
Dr. Ross Tonkens will lead medical affairs and provide consultation
to clients KING OF PRUSSIA, PA, Aug. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
MDS Pharma Services, a leading provider of innovative drug
discovery and development solutions, has hired Ross Tonkens, MD, to
provide medical oversight for its Phase IIa clinical research
activities and to direct the medical and clinical activities of its
Development & Regulatory Services line of business. As Vice
President - Medical Affairs, Dr. Tonkens will design clinical study
protocols, provide medical consultation to clients, and chair the
company's Development & Regulatory Services Medical Advisory
board. In addition, Dr. Tonkens will represent MDS Pharma Services
and serve as the 2008 Chair of the Ethics & Clinical Practice
Committee of ACRO, the Association of Clinical Research
Organizations. "Medical oversight is critically important to
participant safety in all stages of drug development, and
particularly during clinical proof of concept studies, which are
conducted with patients who have the disease state targeted by the
experimental drug," said MDS Pharma Services President David
Spaight. "We're proud to offer our clients access to the caliber of
medical expertise possessed by Dr. Tonkens. His experience spans
academia, biotechnology and the contract research organization
industry." Prior to joining MDS, Dr. Tonkens was Chief Medical
Officer of Regado Biosciences, a Duke University biotechnology
spin-off, and was Global Head of Cardiovascular Therapeutics at
Quintiles, Inc., a contract research organization. A graduate of
Yale College and Yale Medical School, Dr. Tonkens practiced
invasive cardiology in Beverly Hills, and was Assistant Clinical
Professor of Medicine at UCLA and the University of Nevada. Dr.
Tonkens later founded his own clinical research center and served
as principal investigator in more than 40 clinical trials in areas
ranging from cardiology, pulmonary disease, peripheral vascular
disease and critical care to infectious disease, gastroenterology,
pain management and vaccine development. About MDS Pharma Services
MDS Pharma Services is committed to delivering quality service on
time. We offer a full spectrum of resources to meet the drug
discovery and development needs of the pharmaceutical and
biotechnology industries. With numerous facilities strategically
located around the world, we apply advanced scientific and
technological expertise throughout the drug discovery and
development process - from lead optimization, pre-IND research,
early clinical research (bioequivalence, phases I-IIa) and
bioanalysis through to global clinical development (phases IIb-IV),
central lab and centralized cardiac services. For more information,
visit our website at http://www.mdsps.com/. MDS Pharma Services is
a business unit of MDS Inc. (TSX: MDS; NYSE: MDZ), a global life
sciences company that provides market-leading products and services
that our customers need for the development of drugs and diagnosis
and treatment of disease. We are a leading global provider of
pharmaceutical contract research, medical isotopes for molecular
imaging, radiotherapeutics, and analytical instruments. MDS has
more than 5,500 highly skilled people in 29 countries. Find out
more at http://www.mdsinc.com/ or by calling 1-888-MDS-7222,
24 hours a day. DATASOURCE: MDS Inc. CONTACT: For Investors:
Kim Lee, (416) 675-6777 ext. 34721, ; For Media: Charlene McGrady,
(610) 239-7900 ext. 231,
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