NeurAxon Appoints Lawrence E. Bloch, M.D., J.D., as Chief Executive Officer

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NeurAxon Inc., a developer of next-generation pain therapeutics, announced today that Lawrence E. Bloch, M.D., J.D., has been appointed Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Company’s Board of Directors. Dr. Bloch was most recently Chief Financial Officer and Chief Business Officer of NitroMed, Inc.

“Larry’s demonstrated leadership abilities, experience in business development, and successful track record in both private and public financings will be crucial to NeurAxon as it continues to build its organization and advance its pipeline of internally generated product candidates”

“Larry’s demonstrated leadership abilities, experience in business development, and successful track record in both private and public financings will be crucial to NeurAxon as it continues to build its organization and advance its pipeline of internally generated product candidates,” commented Andrew Sandham, Chairman of the Board of Directors of NeurAxon. “Larry joins NeurAxon at a pivotal time as we anticipate Phase 1 data from NXN-188, our lead product candidate for the treatment of acute migraine. We are pleased to welcome Larry and look forward to accelerating NeurAxon’s growth and success under his leadership.”

“NeurAxon has a powerful scientific foundation based on pioneering work in elucidating the role of nNOS in modulating pain,” commented Lawrence E Bloch, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of NeurAxon. “In only three years NeurAxon’s scientific founders, Drs. John Andrews, Suman Rakhit and Shawn Maddaford have built an impressive small molecule therapeutic product platform. I look forward to leveraging this core asset with complementary human capital and financial capital to help the Company reach its full potential for patients with unmet pain needs, shareholders and our employees.”

Dr. Bloch was most recently Chief Financial Officer and Chief Business Officer of NitroMed, Inc. At NitroMed, Dr. Bloch led financings of approximately $170 million in support of the approval and commercial launch of BiDil^®. Prior to that, Dr. Bloch served as Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Business Development of Applied Molecular Evolution Inc. (AME) where he led the AME initial public offering, raising over $100 million, multiple corporate and academic collaborations and the eventual acquisition of AME by Eli Lilly & Company for $420 million. Dr. Bloch holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School, an M.D. from Harvard Medical School and an M.B.A from Harvard Business School.

About NeurAxon Inc.

NeurAxon Inc. is a leader in discovering and developing next-generation pain therapeutics focused on the inhibition of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), an enzyme involved in modulating pain and central nervous system neuronal sensitization.