Medicure appoints Dr Robert Burford as vice president, product development

Winnipeg, MB June 9, 2003 Cardiovascular drug discovery and development company Medicure announced today that Dr Robert G Burford, PhD, FACA has been appointed to the position of vice president, product development. Dr Burford will focus his efforts on advancing the development of the company’s new product, MC-4232.

Medicure announced last week that it has initiated the development of MC-4232 for the treatment of hypertension. The company is currently in the process of finalizing regulatory submissions for a phase II/III clinical trial

“We are privileged to have someone of Dr Burford’s experience and background join the Medicure team,” said Dr Albert D Friesen, PhD, the company’s president and CEO. “Our decision to hire Dr Burford at this time underscores our commitment to the rapid and efficient development of MC-4232 in parallel with our staff’s commitment to MC-1. Over the years, he has displayed considerable skill in bringing drug candidates to market in a timely and efficient manner.”

Dr Burford has 38 years of pharmaceutical research and development experience, particularly in the area of clinical programs for new cardiovascular drugs. For 17 years he was first director, clinical research with Searle Canada and then director, scientific affairs with Searle US’s pharmaceuticals division. Following that he was director, scientific affairs for Biovail, and more recently, vice president product development for Axonyx.

Throughout his career he led the planning and managing product development programs and clinical studies of new chemical entities in the preparation of regulatory submissions in both domestic and foreign markets. A pharmacologist/toxicologist by training, Dr Burford’s clinical expertise is in the field of cardiovascular medication and in particular anti-hypertensive drugs.