WINNIPEG, MB–(Marketwired – December 09, 2016) – 3D Signatures Inc. (TSX VENTURE: DXD) (the “Company” or “3DS”) is pleased to announce two additional strategic appointments to its Board of Directors and its Clinical and Scientific Advisory Board respectively. Helen Stevenson, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Reformulary Group Inc., has been appointed to the Company’s Board of Directors. Dr. Ian Smith, will be stepping down from the Board of Directors and will be joining the Company’s Clinical and Scientific Advisory Board (“CSAB”). Both appointments will help shape 3DS’ clinical priorities and its path towards commercial success.
About Helen Stevenson
Helen Stevenson is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Reformulary Group Inc., a company dedicated to helping manage prescription drug costs for employer drug plans while promoting better patient health outcomes. Ms. Stevenson was formerly Executive Officer of Canada’s largest provincial drug program, the Ontario Public Drug Program by Order-In-Council, as well as Assistant Deputy Minister at the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Ms. Stevenson led two major transformations in the prescription drug system; first with Ontario’s Bill 102 (2006) and, more recently, with the Province’s generic pricing reforms (2010). In addition, she led many of Ontario’s drug system initiatives, including the Drugs for Rare Diseases Framework, Ontario Narcotics Strategy, Ontario Citizens’ Council, MedsCheck medication review program, Compassionate Access Program, Competitive Agreements Framework, and the Drug Innovation Fund. Ms. Stevenson is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Auto Sector Retiree Health Care Trust, and a former member of the Board of North York General Hospital.
Widely recognized as a champion of value-based pricing and outcomes, 3DS will greatly benefit from Ms. Stevenson’s unique experience in managing healthcare budgets at both the government level and for private payers — two stakeholder groups that will be beneficiaries of 3DS’ value-based personalized medicine strategies. Ms. Stevenson brings a unique biopharma perspective on advancing novel therapeutics with physicians and payers, which will be instrumental when addressing the industry’s need for personalized and appropriate use of cancer therapies, a central focus for 3DS as it aims to rapidly commercialize a new class of biomarkers and companion diagnostics for a variety of cancers and dementia.
About Dr. Ian Smith
Dr. Ian Smith was an inaugural and invaluable member of 3DS’ Board of Directors. He shares founder Dr. Sabine Mai’s vision for advancing the personalization of medicine and is now an esteemed member the Company’s Clinical and Scientific Advisory Board.
Dr. Smith is currently the Chairman of the Centre for Imaging Technology Commercialization. His past research and commercialization achievements include significant success in the field of magnetic resonance imaging. Dr. Smith is a former Director General of the NRC Institute for Biological Sciences in Ottawa, and founder and Director General of the Institute for Biodiagnostics, in Winnipeg. He is a passionate advocate for the advancement of diagnostics for the early detection and treatment of disease, and successfully started nine companies (such as Novadaq and IMRIS), with a present value of $2.5 billion with more than 300 employees in Canada and worldwide.
From 2001 to 2016, he served as a Member of the Manitoba Premier’s Economic Advisory Council. He was appointed Officer of the Order of Canada in 2008 for his leadership in the advancement, development and commercialization of Canada’s diagnostic technologies, notably magnetic resonance imaging, in the field of health care. In addition, Dr. Smith received the 2008 Outstanding Achievement Award of the Public Service of Canada, presented to individuals who have displayed long-term excellence throughout their careers in Canada’s public service. He was awarded the Queen’s Gold (2002) and Diamond (2012) Jubilee Medals for his contributions.
Dr. Smith is widely recognized as a successful pioneer and creator of value for med tech companies with a disciplined scientific and business acumen that was critical to 3DS as is formed the Board, management team and early strategic priorities. As a member of the CSAB, he will make important contributions including leveraging his imaging expertise and professional network, so that 3DS can complete the development of its proprietary TeloView™ software. Upon completion, TeloView™ will comprise a fully automated, scalable and end-to-end solution for 3DS’ clinical lab partners to submit 3D images and generate and deliver personalized medical reports.
Comments from the Chairman
“We are honored to welcome Dr. Smith to our Clinical and Scientific Advisory Board and Ms. Stevenson to our Board of Directors. Dr. Smith is a renowned scientist who will continue to be invaluable in guiding the development of this entirely new class of minimally invasive biomarkers,” said John Swift, Chairman of 3D Signatures Inc. “Ms. Stevenson is a significant new addition to our team who brings strategic experience both at the government level and within private industry, in addition to her global networks and deep biopharma insights which will be of great benefit to the Company as we rapidly move towards commercialization,” he remarked.
Helen Stevenson’s appointment to the Board of Directors is pending approval from the TSX Venture Exchange.
Granting of Options
The Company has granted 210,000 incentive stock options (the “Options”) to directors, officers and employees of 3DS, at an exercise price of $0.76 per share. The Options are exercisable for a ten-year period from the date of grant, December 9, 2016, and vest as follows: 135,000 options at the date of grant and 75,000 twelve months later. A total of 4,647,956 options are now issued and outstanding and 24,827 remain for future issuance. The Options are granted pursuant to the Company’s stock option plan, which was most recently approved by the shareholders of the Company at the annual general meeting of shareholders held on February 29, 2016.
About 3DS
3DS (TSX VENTURE: DXD) is a personalized medicine company with a proprietary software platform based on the three-dimensional analysis of chromosomal signatures. The technology is well developed and supported by 16 clinical studies on over 1,500 patients on 13 different cancers and Alzheimer’s disease. Depending on the desired application, the technology can measure the stage of disease, rate of progression of disease, drug efficacy, and drug toxicity. The technology is designed to predict the course of disease and to personalize treatment for the individual patient. For more information, visit the Company’s new website at http://www.3dsignatures.com.
Forward-Looking Information
This news release includes forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause the actual results of the Company to be materially different from the historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. In particular, the Company’s statements that it expects to benefit greatly from its association with the individuals named in this news release is forward-looking information. Although 3DS believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Risk factors that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by forward-looking information include, among other things: market demand; technological changes that could impact the Company’s existing products or the Company’s ability to develop and commercialize future products; competition; existing governmental legislation and regulations and changes in, or the failure to comply with, governmental legislation and regulations; the ability to manage operating expenses, which may adversely affect the Company’s financial condition; the Company’s ability to successfully maintain and enforce its intellectual property rights and defend third-party claims of infringement of their intellectual property rights; adverse results or unexpected delays in clinical trials; changes in laws, general economic and business conditions; and changes in the regulatory regime. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
For further information, please contact:
Hugh Rogers
VP Corporate Finance
204-582-0922
investors@3dsignatures.com