Page 12 - Mobility Management, February 2017

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Rummel Is Named New VGM CFO
Jeff Rummel
The VGM Group has named Jeff Rummel its new chief financial officer.
Rummel replaces Mike Mallaro, who became VGM’s CEO last year following the passing of founder Van G. Miller in October 2015. Rummel joined VGM in 2015 as the member services group’s controller and VP of accounting.
accounting department and its various financial functions and has worked closely with our numerous business units and their leaders to optimize business performance.”
Rummel’s new responsibilities as CFO will include “providing strategic and financial perspectives to business decisions made at VGM,” the Waterloo, Iowa-based company said.
“VGM is a great company with a solid foundation and an exciting future,” Rummel said in the news announce- ment. “I look forward to continuing my work with our various divisions and expanding my role to be more involved in the future successes of our employee-owned company and the businesses we serve.” l
In a news announcement, Mallaro said, “In Jeff’s time at VGM, he has endeavored to understand our various businesses in the depth needed to contribute meaningful counsel. He has overseen our corporate
FDA Approves Spinraza Drug to Treat Spinal Muscular Atrophy
It was news that the spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) community and its supporters have been waiting to hear for a very long time.
In a Dec. 23 bulletin to stakeholders, Cure SMA announced that the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) had approved Spinraza (nusinersen) to treat SMA.
The drug is the first FDA-approved treatment for SMA, which is the leading genetic cause of infant deaths around the world.
Remembering & Thanking the
Many Contributors
In its announcement, Cure SMA thanked all the people — including the association’s chapters, children and adults who have SMA, their families, donors and partners — who have supported the decades-long search for a treatment and cure
“This is a landmark day for the SMA community with the first approved drug for the disease,” said Jill Jarecki, Ph.D., Cure SMA’s chief scientific officer. “Cure SMA and our entire community have worked together tirelessly for more than 30 years to make this happen. It is important for all of us to stop and celebrate this shared accomplishment that will change and improve the lives of SMA patients.”
Spinraza has been approved to treat both children and adults with SMA. Cure SMA noted that the FDA’s approval “is the broadest possible label, with no restric- tions — and this matches our core value at Cure SMA
12 february 2017 | mobilitymanagement
of being one united com- munity for all ages and all types of SMA.”
Starting on a
New Path Forward
“There has been a long-
standing need for a treat-
ment for spinal muscular
atrophy, the most common
genetic cause of death in
infants, and a disease that
can affect people at any
stage of life,” said Billy Dunn,
M.D., director of the Division
of Neurology Products in
the FDA’s Center for Drug
Evaluation and Research.
“As shown by our suggestion
to the sponsor to analyze the results of the study earlier than planned, the FDA is committed to assisting with the development and approval of safe and effective drugs for rare diseases, and we worked hard to review this appli- cation quickly. We could not be more pleased to have the first approved treatment for this debilitating disease.”
The drug was developed by Biogen and Ionis.
Cure SMA's annual conference for consumers and researchers is scheduled for June 29-July 2 in Orlando, Fla. Visit curesma.org for details. l
June’s Cure SMA conference in Anaheim, Calif., featured a message tree from families to researchers studying spinal muscular atrophy. Among the many heartfelt messages: Thank you for everything you do.
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