IntegraGen Appoints Joerg Leenings as Head of Sales and Marketing of its German Competence Centre for Genetic Diabetes Testing
Paris, France, 18 May 2006 ... IntegraGen, the personalized health-care company focused on the development and delivery of genetic tests for complex diseases announced today the appointment of Joerg Leenings as Head of Sales and Marketing for its Competence Centre for MODY (Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young) diabetes and other genetic causes of diabetes, in Bonn, Germany.
A German native, Joerg Leenings brings more than 20 years of experience in commercial diagnostic companies, most notably as Group Product Manager and Sales and Marketing manager at BIO-RAD Laboratories GmbH in Munich. Jrg spent nearly 15 years at BIO-RAD and was previously at ABBOTT GmbH for 6 years. Joerg also worked as a consultant, coordinating clinical studies for new products to achieve CE certification and FDA approval. He received his diploma in Chemical Engineering from Aachen University of Applied Sciences.
Welcoming Joerg Leenings in his new position, Dr Jan Mous, President and CEO of IntegraGen said: “Joerg has broad experience in the commercialization of diagnostic products and I am sure that he will make a significant and valuable contribution to our company. We are delighted to welcome him on board.”
Commenting on his new role at IntegraGen, Joerg Leenings added: I am very excited by the opportunity of heading IntegraGens first Competence Centre for diabetes testing in Germany. This is one of the prime centres of its kind in Europe, providing expertise in both MODY testing and other genetic causes of diabetes together with expert analysis and genetic counselling.
IntegraGen is focused on the development of diagnostic and prognostic genetic tests for complex diseases using its novel technology platform for gene identification (GenomeHIPTM). In 2005, IntegraGen completed a 8 million financing that is being used to further develop the Companys genetic tests and to launch them into the market. The company anticipates launching further genetic tests for late onset type 2 diabetes in 2008.
About MODY
Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) is an unusual type of diabetes accounting for up to 5% of all diabetes (Type 1 and 2 compounded) worldwide. It is characterized by an early onset of symptoms, typically under the age of 25 in patients with family histories of the disease. Early detection and diagnosis is key to preventing the debilitating side effects of diabetes such as nephropathies, retinopathies and neuropathies.
