News

BOONTON, N.J., Jun 09, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Unigene Laboratories, Inc. (OTCBB: UGNE, http://www.unigene.com) announced today the appointment of Ashleigh Palmer as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, replacing Dr. Warren Levy. Mr. Palmer also has been named a member of Unigene’s Board of Directors. He brings to Unigene extensive healthcare operational experience, as well as a successful track record in building out R&D and commercial capabilities. Mr. Palmer’s appointment is effective immediately.

“We are delighted to welcome Ashleigh to the Unigene team. His areas of expertise and understanding of Big Pharma, as well as his appreciation for our oral delivery platform and peptide manufacturing capabilities, will help ensure Unigene maximizes its core assets and existing partnerships,” commented Richard Levy, Chairman of Unigene’s Board and Managing Principal at Victory Park Capital. “We soon will complement Ashleigh’s leadership with the addition of a seasoned business development professional, further expanding the talented team at Unigene.”

Mr. Palmer commented, “I am thrilled to be joining Unigene, which has a well-established presence in the growing peptide therapeutics space. Compelling assets include a commercialized product, Fortical, as well as a broad product R&D pipeline and advanced clinical-stage partnerships. Importantly, Unigene has demonstrated it is the partner of choice for GMP recombinant peptide manufacturing, a distinctive competence that, when combined with its validated delivery platform, enables the Company to offer a competitive profile that is truly unique in this sector.”

Prior to joining Unigene, Mr. Palmer served as CEO of Critical Biologics Corporation, a critical care company where he remains a Director, and headed the strategic advisory firm, Creative BioVentures(TM) Corporation. Previously, Mr. Palmer was Vice President of Business Development at Ohmeda, Inc. During his tenure, Mr. Palmer played a key role in the $1.2 billion sale of Ohmeda to a consortium including Baxter and Becton, Dickinson by spinning out Ohmeda’s nitric oxide assets to found INO Therapeutics, Inc. Under his leadership as President and CEO, INO commercialized the world’s first selective pulmonary vasodilator, INOmax(R), establishing a greater than $100 million revenue stream within the first 24 months of launch. Subsequently, INO was sold to critical care company Ikaria in 2007 for $670 million.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Palmer held positions of increasing responsibility at Seton Healthcare Group and, prior to this, Reckitt and Colman PLC. He received his MBA degree from the University of Bradford, England, and his BSc degree from the University of Manchester, England.