9th Annual Spring Research Briefing

The JDRF New England Chapter's 9th Annual Spring Research Briefing and Reception was held on Monday, March 3, 2008 at the Boston Newton Marriott Hotel.

Dr. Douglas Ringler and Dr. Paul Strumph discussed the latest research and medical breakthroughs in diabetes treatment. Dr. Ringler focused on current advances to treat autoimmunity through current anti-CD3 trials at Tolerx, a study that could very soon mean the autoimmunity puzzle to type 1 diabetes will be solved, while Dr. Strumph’s presentation gave us an update on JDRF Clinical Development and the current 33 human clinical trials being funded by JDRF.

Dr. Douglas Ringler

Douglas J. Ringler, V.M.D., is a co-founder of Tolerx, and has served as its President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director since inception in July 2000. Dr. Ringler has over 20 years of experience as an academician, scientist, and executive in biomedical research focusing on the research and development of therapies designed to alter immunological responses. Tolerx is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel immunotherapies designed to reprogram the immune system and provide a long-term, durable remission after a short course of therapy. Tolerx has a development pipeline which includes two humanized antibodies that are in clinical trials for new-onset type 1 diabetes, psoriasis, and cutaneous lupus erythematosus.

Dr. Paul Strumph

Paul Strumph, M.D., is Vice President of Research and Chief Medical Officer at JDRF. With a long track record of clinical care in the pharmaceutical industry and academia, he oversees clinical trials of JDRF-supported research and represents the Foundation’s interests in the clinical components of the National Institutes of Health’s diabetes activities. Dr. Strumph has seven years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry in all stages of clinical trials, most recently with Bristol-Myers Squibb & Co., where he served as Executive Director of Metabolics. He has extensive experience in the programs that advanced drug candidates in diabetes and metabolism from basic research into clinical settings, then on to the marketplace.