Interview de Sanjiv Sharma parue dans The Star Ledger

Burning Questions
Thursday, October 18, 2007

Sanjiv Sharma, vice president of commercial affairs for NicOx, a French biotech that recently set up U.S. offices in Warren.

Q. Why did the company choose New Jersey for its base in the United States?

A. I personally believe there is no better place than New Jersey for a pharmaceutical company. I came from Aventis, which was created from Hoechst Marion Roussel and Rhone Poulenc -- one (had its U.S. operations) in Kansas City and one in Collegeville, Pa. They came here. That tells you how strong this place is. (Also) two of our key partners, Pfizer and Merck, are residing in close proximity.

Q. What do the next few years hold for you?

A. We are really focusing on building our franchise, particularly our product naproxcinod. We believe the product will transform this organization into a full pharmaceutical organization. We are trying to complete Phase III trials. In 2008, we believe we're going to start creating a larger commercial organization to get prepared for the next step.

Q. What differentiates NicOx from other drug companies?

A. We are the leaders in the world for this nitrous oxide technology. It was discovered over a century ago, but only 10 to 15 years ago, a Nobel Prize was given to three scientists (who outlined its) many basic chemical reactions in the body. Nitrous oxide in biology is great to know, but to transfer those benefits as far a possible in the most natural way, as far as the body goes, is something else. The world tried that in the form of nitrates, a treatment for angina. But when you deliver it at a cellular level, as normal as possible, you deliver the greatest benefits.

-- Jeff May

Source : The Star Ledger, via NJ.com