Velcura Therapeutics, Inc. CEO Michael Long, Ph.D., announced that William F. Brinkerhoff has joined the Board of Directors of the biotechnology company, which completed a first-in-man clinical trial for VEL-0230, a powerful anti-inflammatory agent that also stimulates bone formation and inhibits bone loss. Velcura is developing its lead compound as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and other bone diseases.

"Bill's addition to our Board of Directors brings considerable expertise in fund-raising, drug development and business development to Velcura" said Dr. Long. "We are very pleased that Bill decided to join us."

Bill Brinkerhoff is the chief operating officer of Cerenis Therapeutics, which is focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of breakthrough HDL-related therapies for the treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

"In joining Velcura's Board, I look forward to assisting them in their mission of developing therapies that restore bone health," said Bill Brinkerhoff.

Before founding Cerenis in 2005, Brinkerhoff was vice president of business development for Esperion Therapeutics in Ann Arbor, where he successfully negotiated multiple large potential partnering agreements prior to Esperion's acquisition by Pfizer. Before joining Esperion in 2002, he was the director of business development and director of market planning and sales operations, for Sankyo Parke Davis in Parsippany, New Jersey.

A graduate of the University of Michigan, Brinkerhoff earned his Master of Business Administration with Distinction in 1989. He also has bachelor's and master's degrees in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from U-M's College of Engineering.

Velcura's other directors are Michael W. Long and Bill Orobone, CEO of Syneptics, an alternative energy financing entity.

About Velcura Therapeutics, Inc.

Velcura Therapeutics, Inc. is an early stage biotechnology company headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Velcura's research focus is to understand human bone disease and to discover novel therapeutics that restore bone health. Velcura develops highly differentiated therapies for bone disease; specifically, therapies that restore the balance between bone building and bone loss activities in a single molecule. Velcura uses its patented platform technologies to discover and optimize these compounds. More information is at www.velcura.com.