CAMBRIDGE, MA – September 2, 2009 – Quanterix Corporation, the leader in single molecule detection, announced today that David Okrongly, Ph.D. has been appointed Chief Executive Officer and a member of the company’s Board of Directors. Dr. Okrongly replaces co-founder and interim CEO, Nicholas Naclerio, Ph.D., who will continue serving as Chairman of the Board.
Dr. Okrongly joins Quanterix from Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Division, where he most recently served as Senior Vice President in charge of the Molecular Diagnostics business unit. In his 12 years at Siemens (formerly Bayer Healthcare), he led the worldwide introduction of a variety of novel chemical and immunochemical assays and multiple clinical diagnostic systems. Dr. Okrongly brings more than 20 years of experience in product development and commercialization, which includes previous senior management positions at Xytronyx and Applied Immune Sciences Inc.
"We are delighted to have recruited David as our CEO, and believe that his insight into the medical diagnostics area, strong technical background and commercial acumen are ideally suited to driving the next stages of growth at Quanterix as we continue efforts to develop assays and instrumentation that will permit the ultrasensitive detection of proteins implicated in various diseases," stated Chairman Nicholas Naclerio. "Furthermore, David brings to the company a demonstrated ability to translate diverse technologies into innovative products."
David Walt, Ph.D., Scientific Founder of Quanterix and Chair of the SAB added, "We are fortunate to have attracted an executive of Dr. Okrongly’s caliber to lead Quanterix at this stage of the company’s development. He brings an in-depth understanding of the diagnostics business and outstanding track record in the medical technology industry. We are very pleased to welcome David and look forward to his active participation and contributions to Quanterix’s success."
Commenting on his new appointment, Dr. Okrongly said, "I am very excited to be joining a ground-breaking organization like Quanterix. A technology that enables unparalleled increases in analytical sensitivity will have significant applications in the diagnostics industry, allowing a variety of unmet medical needs to be addressed. I look forward to working with the current leadership team, employees and Board members as we continue to realize the full potential of this promising technology."
About Quanterix
Quanterix is developing a revolutionary Single Molecule Array (SiMoA™) technology that allows the behavior ofthousands of individual molecules to be observed simultaneously, rather than an ensemble average of many molecules as with existing technologies. Quanterix’s platform will bring an unprecedented level of sensitivity, precision, and assay robustness to clinical diagnostics, drug development, and life science research. The first application that Quanterix is pursuing with the SiMoA™ technology is the detection and quantification of proteins present in blood and other body fluids at very low, previously undetectable, concentrations. Diagnostic assays targeting proteins that have been implicated in a variety of human diseases, including cancer, chronic inflammatory disease and neurological disorders are under development. Quanterix is a privately held company located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and is backed by leading life science investors including ARCH Venture Partners, Bain Capital Ventures, and Flagship Ventures. For additional information, please visit www.quanterix.com.