The nomination of François Arcand as Director General (CEO) of ERA Plantech S.L., effective immediately, was announced during BioSpain by Dr. Luis Ruiz-Avila, on behalf of the board of directors.

This experienced CEO will lead ERA where it belongs in the international league of biopharmaceutical production, said Dr. Ruiz-Avila.

ERA uses Zera?, a suite of proprietary biotechnologies, to improve the manufacturing productivity of plant-made pharmaceuticals and other protein-based products of high value. Zera? assemble Protein Bodies in plant cells to accumulate recombinant products, and eases their recovery.

With Zera?, drug manufacturing should be easier and more affordable, believes François Arcand. The simplicity and elegance of Dra. Ludevids discovery has a seducing quality. Zera? will be presented at the Conference on Plant-made Pharmaceuticals in Montréal (Jan 30 to Feb. 2, 2005).

Mr. Arcand obtained a MBA from the Executive Program of John Molson School of Business (Concordia University, Montréal). He is the co-founder of Medicago inc., a plant-factory company from Québec City (Canada), and the president of the Society for Moleculture, a non-for-profit organization that supports the emergence of plant-factories (www.cpmp2005.org).

Zera™ was discovered by the team of Dra. Dolors Ludevid-Múgica from the Spanish Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), and is developed by ERA, a private company whose state of the art facilities are located in the Parc Cientific de Barcelona.