Our Mission

We are a development stage specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development of late-stage (PH II and PH III) prescription drugs for gastrointestinal disorders, specifically, hemorrhoids, anal fissures and fecal incontinence.

We believe that hemorrhoids, anal fissures and fecal incontinence each represent a significant unmet medical need.

While we estimate that there are currently approximately 12.5 million Americans suffering from hemorrhoids, 7 million from fecal incontinence and over 4 million from anal fissures, we are not aware of any U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, approved prescription treatments for these conditions.

Our product candidate portfolio consists of three late-stage drugs intended to treat these conditions, for which, to our knowledge, there are no currently FDA-approved prescription drugs in the US:

• VEN 309, iferanserin cream for the treatment of symptomatic hemorrhoids, a new chemical entity, or NCE, ready to enter Phase III trials.
• VEN 307, diltiazem cream, a commonly used drug used orally for hypertension and angina, formulated topically for the treatment of pain associated with anal fissures, ready to enter Phase III trials.
• VEN 308, phenylephrine gel formulated topically for the treatment of fecal incontinence associated with ileal pouch anal anastomosis, ready to enter Phase IIB trials.
   

About Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids are a common anal disorder characterized by bleeding, itching, pain, swelling, tenderness, and difficulty with defecating. Hemorrhoids are pathologic dilatations of the normal vascular beds in the anal and rectal regions. Although the exact mechanism for hemorrhoid formation is unclear, progressive occlusion of venous exit vessels (as can occur in straining during defecation, heavy lifting, and pregnancy) is thought to produce stretching of vessels and vascular stasis. As hemorrhoids worsen, the trapped blood forms piles (protruding skin folds filled with static and thrombosed blood) initially above the line that marks the end of the rectum and the beginning of the anal canal (internal hemorrhoids) and then below the line (external hemorrhoids). We are not aware of any prescription drugs currently approved by the FDA for the treatment of symptomatic hemorrhoids. The great majority of current treatments provide only temporary relief from the symptoms of hemorrhoids and do not address the cause of hemorrhoids. The mechanism of action of these treatments is either generally anti-inflammatory, such as steroids, or acting as a protective coating on the hemorrhoid or acting as local anesthetics, in the case of most of the over-the-counter, or OTC, products, or unknown, in the case of herbal remedies, and we are not aware of any clinical trials published in medical journals on the efficacy or safety of any topical or oral drug currently marketed in the U.S. for the treatment of hemorrhoids. Patients with persistent symptoms, especially bleeding, progress to invasive procedures, such as rubber band ligation, which involves banding the internal hemorrhoid for 4 to 7 days.
 

About Anal Fissure

An anal fissure is a crack in the skin of the anal canal. Typical symptoms are severe pain and bleeding with or after bowel movements. Although hypertonia, which is an increase in tightness of muscle tone of the internal anal sphincter, is associated with anal fissures, its contribution to the cause of fissure remains unclear. We are not aware of any FDA-approved drugs for the treatment of pain associated with anal fissure. For severe pain, surgery often is performed to reduce the internal anal sphincter by either manual dilatation or lateral sphincterotomy. Both procedures successfully promote healing of anal fissure but have been associated with fecal incontinence.
 

About Fecal Incontinence

Continence of solid stool is maintained by the internal and external anal sphincters. Damage to the anal sphincters can disrupt continence. Specific causes of fecal incontinence include obstetrical injury; prior anorectal surgery, such as ileal pouch anal anastomosis; fecal impaction; sphincter trauma; cancer; and neurologic disease. We are not aware of any FDA-approved drugs for the treatment of fecal incontinence. The most common surgical procedure for fecal incontinence is sphincteroplasty for patients with physical injury to the anal sphincter, but success rates for this type of surgery are low and most of the benefits decrease with time.
 

Our Officers and Directors

Russell H. Ellison, M.D., M.Sc.
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Medical Officer.
Dr. Ellison joined us as a director, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Medical Officer in June 2010, he was named Chairman in January 2011. From July 2007 to January 2010, Dr. Ellison served as Executive Vice President of Paramount Biosciences LLC, a global pharmaceutical development and healthcare investment firm. From October 2005 until June 2007, Dr. Ellison served as the Vice President of Clinical Development of Fibrogen, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company. From August 2002 to December 2004, Dr. Ellison served as Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer of Sanofi-Synthelabo, USA, a pharmaceutical company. From May 1997 to August 2002, Dr. Ellison served as Vice President, Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer of Hoffman-La Roche, Inc., a pharmaceutical company. Dr. Ellison also serves as a director of CorMedix, Inc., a pharmaceutical company, and several privately held development stage biotechnology companies. Dr. Ellison holds an M.D. from the University of British Columbia and an M.Sc. (with distinction) from The London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Thomas Rowland
Chief Business Officer
Mr. Rowland joined Ventrus Biosciences in April 2007 as a director, a position he held until January 2012, and as our Chief Executive Officer, a position he held until February 2009. From March 2009 to June 2010, he served as our Acting President. Prior to Ventrus, Mr. Rowland was Founder and Principal of his own consulting firm, consulting to various pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in the areas of business development, marketing and launch preparation. Mr. Rowland started consulting in 2006 after serving as Vice President of the Gastroenterology and Women's Health Business Unit at Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where he oversaw all commercial operations for the over $250 million and 250 person unit. Prior to being named Vice President, Mr. Rowland successfully led the turnaround of the Gastrointestinal franchise, returning the franchise to positive sales growth, record sales and profitability. Mr. Rowland's initial work in the gastroenterology therapeutic area started when he joined Scandipharm, Inc. in 1998 as Director of Marketing to assist in the company turnaround which resulted in the sale of the company to Axcan Pharmaceuticals. Mr. Rowland started his career in 1990 at UCB Pharma, Inc. where he spent over eight years in various positions of increasing responsibility including sales, market research and product management. Throughout his career, Mr. Rowland has participated in numerous successful new product and line extension launches. In addition, in senior management roles, he has contributed to several product, franchise and company turnarounds. Mr. Rowland earned his B.S. in Finance from Metropolitan State University in Denver, Colorado in 1989. Mr. Rowland was Chairman of the BOD from May 2010 to January 2011.

Joseph Felder, M.D.
Director
Dr. Felder joined our Board of Directors in May 2008.  Dr. Felder has been a gastroenterologist since 1992 after having completed his post-doctoral training and fellowship at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. He is currently in private practice in Manhattan. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the City University of New York and his Medical Degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 1987. He practices out of Lenox Hill Hospital, a major teaching affiliate of the New York University School of Medicine, where he is an adjunct and attending physician in the departments of Medicine and Gastroenterology. His responsibilities there include extensive teaching obligations. He has done significant clinical research in gastroenterology, specifically in the subject of Inflammatory Bowel Disease and is published in this field in various international journals as well as textbooks. He lectures on this subject matter as well. He is a co-chairman of the medical advisory board of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America in New York. His interests are in ongoing clinical research and product development.

Mark Auerbach
Director
Mr. Auerbach was elected to our Board in November 2010. Over the last 17 years, Mr. Auerbach has served as directors for several companies. Mr, Auerbach currently is a director and chairman of the audit committee of Optimer Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: OPTR), a publically traded company. He has held those positions since June 2005. From January 2006 through March 2010, Mr. Auerbach served as the chairman of the board of directors for Neuro-Hitech, an early stage pharmaceutical company specializing in brain degenerative diseases. From June 2007 through August 2009, he served as a director for Collexis, a company which develops knowledge management and discovery software. From July 2007 through February 2009, Mr. Auerbach also served as director for RxElite Holdings, Inc., a company which develops, manufactures, and markets generic prescription drug products in specialty generic markets. From September 2003 through October 2006, Mr. Auerbach served as executive chairman of the board of directors for Par Pharmaceutical Companies, Inc., a manufacturer and marketer of generic pharmaceuticals and the parent of Par Pharmaceutical, Inc., and served as chair of the audit committee prior to becoming executive chairman. From 1993 to 2005, Mr. Auerbach served as chief ñnancial officer of Central Lewmar LLC, a national line paper distributor. Mr. Auerbach received his B.S, degree in accounting from Rider University.

Myron Z. Holubiak
Director
Mr. Holubiak joined our Board of Directors in July 2010.  Mr. Holubiak currently serves as President of 1-800-DOCTORS, Inc., a position he has held since May, 2007. Mr. Holubiak is the former President of Roche Laboratories, Inc., USA, a major research-based pharmaceutical company, a position he held from December 1998 to August 2001. He held many sales and marketing positions at Roche Laboratories in his 19 year tenure. Mr. Holubiak was a director and the President and Chief Operating Officer of HealthSTAR Communications, Inc, the largest, private health care marketing communications company in the USA, from November 2003 to April 2007, and he served as HealthSTAR Group’s President, Field Level Marketing Group, from August 2002 to October 2003. Mr. Holubiak served on the Board of Trustees of the Robert Wood Johnson Hospital Foundation in 2000 and 2001. Since September 2002 he has served on the Board of Directors of BioScrip, Inc., a specialty pharmacy company. Mr. Holubiak previously served on the Board of Directors of Nastech, Inc., a biotechnology based pharmaceutical company now called mdRNA, Inc. Mr. Holubiak is also on the Board of Directors of the Children of Chernobyl Relief and Development Foundation. Mr. Holubiak received his B.S. in Molecular Biology and Biophysics from the University of Pittsburgh.

Anthony Altig
Director
Mr. Anthony E. Altig has been appointed as Director of Ventrus Biosciences, Inc., effective January 17, 2012. Mr. Altig is the Chief Financial Officer of Biotix Holdings, Inc. a company that manufactures microbiological consumables. From December 2004 to June 2007, Mr. Altig served as the Chief Financial Officer, of Diversa Corporation (subsequently Verenium Corporation), a publicly-traded company developing specialized industrial enzymes. Prior to joining Diversa, Mr. Altig served as the Chief Financial Officer of Maxim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a publicly-traded biopharmaceutical company, from 2002 to 2004. In addition, Mr. Altig serves as a director and chair of the Audit Committee for MultiCell Technologies, Inc, and a director for TearLab Corporation and Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

David J. Barrett
Chief Financial Officer
From April 2006 to September 2009, Mr. Barrett served as Chief Financial Officer of Neuro-Hitech, Inc., a company focused on developing, marketing and distributing branded and generic pharmaceutical products. From September 2003 to April 2006, Mr. Barrett was the Chief Financial Officer /Vice President of Finance of Overture Asset Managers and Overture Financial Services, which, at the time, was a start-up asset management firm that assembled investment products and platforms to distribute turnkey and unbundled investment solutions to financial intermediaries and institutional investors. From 1999 to 2003, Mr. Barrett was employed as a Manager at Deloitte & Touche, LLP. Mr. Barrett received his B.S. in Accounting and Economics in 1998 and his M.S. in Accounting in  1999 from the University of Florida. He is a certified public accountant

 

Useful Links

The links below provide what we believe is useful information about the conditions we seek to address. These links are provided for convenience only and the inclusion of a link does not indicate an endorsement by Ventrus Biosciences of any third party or any third-party website. In addition, linked websites are not under the control of Ventrus Biosciences, and Ventrus Biosciences is not responsible for their content.
 

American College of Gastroenterology

American Gastroenterological Association

American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons

International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders