Former Roche executive George Abercrombie is joining the board of directors of Tranzyme Pharma (NASDAQ:TZYM).
Durham, North Carolina-based Tranzyme, which focuses on gastrointestinal treatments, will tap the more than 30 years of experience of Abercrombie, who was president and CEO of Roche’s North American pharmaceuticals operations from 2001 through 2009.
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Tranzyme does not yet have any commercialized drugs. The company’s lead drug candidate is Ulimorelin, a compound being studied as a treatment for postoperative ileus, a condition in which the GI tract stops functioning normally following intestinal surgery. Tranzyme expects to complete phase 3 trials during the first half of 2012.
Another compound, TZP-102, is being studied in clinical trials as a treatment for diabetic gastroparesis, an upper gastrointestinal disorder. That compound is planned for a phase 2b clinical trial.
Tranzyme is not Abercrombie’s first connection to a company based in North Carolina’s Research Triangle. Abercrombie was recently on the board of Raleigh, North Carolina-based Inspire Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired by Merck (NYSE:MRK) earlier this year. Abercrombie is also chairman of the board of Fort Lauderdale, Florida skin treatments company Brickell Biotech.
Abercrombie has a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA from Harvard University.
