LIBERTY CORNER, N.J., Dec. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Reliant Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ernest Mario, Ph.D., has been selected to receive the profession of pharmacy's highest honor, the Remington Honor Medal. The company wishes to congratulate Dr. Mario on this prestigious award and acknowledge the significant leadership role he has played in the pharmaceutical industry and the practice of pharmacy over the past four decades.
The Remington Honor Medal, administered by the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), is named for eminent community pharmacist, manufacturer and educator Joseph P. Remington. The award was established in 1918 to recognize distinguished service and/or outstanding achievement on behalf of American pharmacy during the preceding year, culminating in the past year, or for a sustained period of time.
A recognized leader in the research-based pharmaceutical industry, Dr. Mario began his career in 1966 as a pharmacist and research scientist. He later moved into management, eventually serving as chief executive of Glaxo from 1989 to 1993. Under his stewardship, Glaxo launched five major new medicines and significantly increased its commitment to research. Dr. Mario then transformed drug delivery technology company Alza into a full-fledged pharmaceutical company that developed important new treatments and became part of Johnson & Johnson in 2001. Today he is chairman of both Reliant Pharmaceuticals of Liberty Corner, NJ, a developer of cardiovascular medicines, and Pharmaceutical Product Development of Wilmington, NC, a leading provider of pharmaceutical research and technology services to industry and government worldwide.
Dr. Mario's sustained support of and active participation in major pharmacy, education, and healthcare organizations reflects his personal commitment to the future of pharmacy, pharmaceutical education and the public health. He served as Chairman of the American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education (AFPE) Board for 15 years, devoting his time, talents, and experience to attracting the resources needed to support and advance the U.S. pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences education system.
Dr. Mario received his Bachelor of Science degree from Rutgers University College of Pharmacy, which in 2001 was renamed the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy in his honor; he went on to study pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy where he earned his Masters of Science and Ph.D. degrees. In addition to his current and past service on the boards of many publicly-traded corporations, Dr. Mario has served as a trustee of a number of universities, including Duke, where he is the university's longest-serving trustee and the chairman of the Duke University Health System.
The Remington Honor Medal will be presented to Dr. Mario at the APhA Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA, March 16-19, 2007.
About Reliant Pharmaceuticals
Reliant Pharmaceuticals is a pharmaceutical company with integrated sales, marketing and development expertise that markets a portfolio of branded cardiovascular pharmaceutical products. Reliant focuses on marketing promotionally sensitive pharmaceutical products to the high prescribing primary care, cardiovascular and specialist physician markets in the United States. Reliant also acquires rights to and develops product candidates in mid- to late-stage clinical development. Reliant's sales force infrastructure is comprised of approximately 825 sales professionals nationwide.
"Safe Harbor" statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. To the extent any statements made in this release contain information that is not historical, these statements are essentially forward looking and are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the difficulty of predicting FDA approvals, acceptance and demand for new pharmaceutical products, the impact of competitive products and pricing, new product development and launch, reliance on key strategic alliances, availability of raw materials, the regulatory environment, fluctuations in operating results and other risks detailed from time to time in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
SOURCE Reliant Pharmaceuticals, Inc.