AZUSA, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 03/19/08 -- Viral Genetics, Inc. (VRAL), a
biotechnology company, announces that three veteran business executives and
high-tech investors have joined as the founding members of the Company's
business advisory board. This advisory group has been established as a
vehicle for experienced business executives to assist and advise the
Company in the development and commercialization of its technology. These
newly appointed board members come to Viral Genetics at a pivotal time
bringing over 90 years of Fortune 500 management, investment and
intellectual property experience at Microsoft, IBM, Eaton Corp., Spencer
Trask and other firms. Two of the founding individuals, Marshall C. Phelps
and Richard M. Gerstner, also entered into private placement subscriptions
with the Company.
Marshall C. Phelps, Jr. is currently Corporate Vice President for IP Policy
and Strategy for Microsoft. In this position, Mr. Phelps is responsible for
establishing global policy and strategy for Microsoft's intellectual
property, and interfacing with governments and technology companies about
intellectual property issues. During his tenure at Microsoft he has also
overseen management of the company's trademark, copyright, patent, trade
secret and related divisions. Prior to Microsoft, Mr. Phelps spent 28 years
at IBM where he served as vice president for intellectual property and
licensing. At IBM, Phelps oversaw the company's patent licensing program
and intellectual property portfolio development amongst other things. In
between IBM and Microsoft, Mr. Phelps spent two years as chairman and chief
executive officer of Spencer Trask Intellectual Capital Company LLC, which
specialized in spin-offs from major corporations such as Motorola Inc.,
Lockheed Martin Corp. and IBM. Phelps holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from
Muskingum College, a Master of Science degree from Stanford Graduate School
of Business and a doctorate from Cornell Law School. He is an
Executive-in-Residence at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University,
and also serves on the Board of Visitors. He has also recently been asked
to advise Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on IP matters and
was elected to the initial class of the Intellectual Property Hall of Fame,
in 2006.
Richard T. Gerstner joins Viral Genetics as an Advisor after a lifetime of
executive management positions and investment in the technology arena.
Gerstner spent several years as President and CEO of Telular Corporation, a
wireless communication company he took public in the 1990s. Prior to that,
he spent 32 years at IBM in several capacities including 10 years as a
Corporate Vice President during which he served as Chief Planning Officer,
Head of the Asia/Pacific region located in Tokyo and Group Executive of IBM
Personal Computers, and most recently as head of IBM's PC Group. He is a
director of various technology companies and is Chairman of the Advisory
Committee to the Columbia Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Research Center. Mr.
Gerstner holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Villanova University and
an MS in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University.
Anthony Freda, Jr. comes to Viral Genetics after several decades in
business development, engineering, and senior management roles. His career
progressed from design engineering to management in the 1960s at Cutler
Hammer, an electrical systems and engineering firm now owned by Eaton
Corporation, a Fortune 500 electrical systems and engineering firm. While
at Cutler Hammer, Mr. Freda ran the international systems business unit and
was responsible for all aspects of the Air Traffic Control unit in 20
countries. He followed this with several corporate marketing positions at
Telephonics Corp., a division of Griffon Corporation. In the 1990s, Mr.
Freda held several corporate management positions at Telephonics including
staff VP for strategic alliances. At the time of his retirement in 1998 he
was the General Manager of the Electronic systems division. Mr. Freda
received BS and MS degrees in electrical engineering from Villanova
University and Polytechnic University of NY in the 1960s. He did his
graduate work in business under a Beloit College program.
About Viral Genetics
Viral Genetics, Inc. is a biotechnology company that discovers and develops
immune-based therapies for HIV and AIDS using its thymus nuclear protein
compound (TNP). The company recently entered into an Exclusive License
Agreement with the University of Colorado and V-Clip Pharmaceuticals (a
subsidiary of the Company) to license technology developed by M. Karen
Newell, PhD that appears to explain TNP and provide a means to optimize
therapies based on TNP for future clinical trials. TNP may have other
potential applications for other infectious, autoimmune, and immunological
deficiency diseases that the company intends to study in the future. Viral
Genetics believes that its investigational HIV/AIDS drug based on TNP,
called VGV-1, represents a unique approach to treating HIV due to the
apparently novel mechanism, low toxicity profile, simple dosing regimen,
and short-course of treatment. As a type of immune-based therapy, it
focuses on boosting the immune system to allow the body to fight HIV more
efficiently. VGV-1 has been studied in five human clinical trials for the
treatment of HIV / AIDS. Online at www.viralgenetics.com
This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks
and uncertainties associated with financial projections, budgets, milestone
timelines, clinical development, regulatory approvals, and other risks
described by Viral Genetics, Inc. from time to time in its periodic reports
filed with the SEC. VGV-1 is not approved by the US Food and Drug
Administration or by any comparable regulatory agencies elsewhere in the
world. While Viral Genetics believes that the forward-looking statements
and underlying assumptions contained therein are reasonable, any of the
assumptions could be inaccurate, including, but not limited to, the ability
of Viral Genetics to establish the efficacy of VGV-1 in the treatment of
any disease or health condition, the development of studies and strategies
leading to commercialization of VGV-1 in the United States, the obtaining
of funding required to carry out the development plan, the completion of
studies and tests on time or at all, and the successful outcome of such
studies or tests. Therefore, there can be no assurance that the
forward-looking statements included in this release will prove to be
accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the
forward-looking statements included herein, the forward-looking statements
should not be regarded as a representation by Viral Genetics or any other
person that the objectives and plans of Viral Genetics will be achieved.