LAUSANNE, Switzerland and CAMBRIDGE, Ma., January
17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --
Serial biotech
entrepreneur joins leading small molecule tau
modulation company
Asceneuron, an emerging leader in the development of orally
bioavailable modulators of tau pathology for the treatment of
neurodegenerative diseases, today announces the appointment of
Peter Van Vlasselaer as Chair of the
Board of Directors.
Peter Van Vlasselaer, PhD has
over 20 years executive and entrepreneurial experience in the
biotech industry. He was most recently the Founder, President and
Chief Executive Officer of ARMO Biosciences, Inc. which shortly
after its public offering (Nasdaq: ARMO) was acquired by Eli Lilly.
Prior to this, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of
iPierian (acquired by BMS), ARRESTO (acquired by Gilead) and AVIDIA
(acquired by AMGEN). In addition to founding ARMO, Dr. Van Vlasselaer was the founder of ARRESTO,
co-founder of TrueNorth (acquired by Bioverativ) and was a member
of the start-up teams of InterMune (ITMN) and Dendreon (DNDN). He
currently serves on the boards of BLADE Therapeutics, Comet
Therapeutics and RGENIX. Dr. Van
Vlasselaer has a degree in Zoology and a PhD in Immunology
from the Catholic University of Leuven,
Belgium. He was a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Division of
Immunology and Rheumatology at Stanford
University Medical School and DNAX Research Institute. Dr.
Van Vlasselaer has authored several
peer reviewed scientific publications and book chapters and he is
an inventor on multiple patents.
Dirk Beher, Chief Executive
Officer and Founder of Asceneuron, commented:
"We are delighted to welcome Peter Van
Vlasselaer to the Board. His extensive experience in all
aspects of biotechnology, drug and corporate development will be
invaluable as the Company progresses its orally-bioavailable tau
modifiers through clinical development. With Peter's addition to
the board, our expanded US presence, and commitment to tau,
Asceneuron is well positioned to revolutionize the treatment of
neurodegenerative diseases."
Peter Van Vlasselaer,
new Chairman of Asceneuron, added:
"There is a strong industry and scientific interest in tau
approaches to Alzheimer's disease and orphan tauopathies such as
progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). I believe Asceneuron's
technology represents a significant opportunity in the next
generation of drugs that could potentially transform the treatment
of PSP and other tau-related neurodegenerative diseases. These
disorders have devastating outcomes for patients and their
families. I look forward to maximising the potential of these
innovative new treatments and support the Company through this
important phase of growth."
Asceneuron's lead program ASN120290 is a small molecule
inhibitor of the enzyme O-GlcNAcase. Based on its unique mechanism
of action, ASN120290 has the potential to become a first in class
treatment for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and other
tau-related dementias.
The company recently announced the appointment of CNS specialist
Dr Thomas C. Wessel as Chief Medical
Officer. A clinical trial is ongoing with ASN120290 to quantify
target engagement in the human brain using positron emission
tomography (PET) the results of which will guide dose selection for
an efficacy trial in PSP planned for later this
year.
About Asceneuron
Asceneuron is an emerging, clinical stage biotech company
excelling in the development of orally bioavailable therapeutics
for debilitating neurodegenerative disorders with high unmet
medical need, such as orphan tauopathies, Alzheimer's and
Parkinson's diseases. The lead program ASN120290, an O-GlcNAcase
inhibitor, is being developed for the orphan tauopathy progressive
supranuclear palsy (PSP). Asceneuron has completed a randomized,
double-blind, placebo-controlled phase I study to assess the safety
and tolerability of single and multiple doses of orally
administered ASN120290. Asceneuron is a privately held company
financed by a strong syndicate of investors consisting of Sofinnova
Partners, M Ventures, SR One, Johnson & Johnson Innovation -
JJDC, Inc. (JJDC) and Kurma Partners. For more information, please
visit www.asceneuron.com.
About ASN120290
Asceneuron's lead program ASN120290, an O-GlcNAcase inhibitor,
is being developed for the orphan tauopathy progressive
supranuclear palsy (PSP) and was recently granted Orphan Drug
Designation by the US FDA for the treatment of PSP. ASN120290 has
recently completed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled
phase I study to assess its safety and tolerability of single and
multiple doses in healthy young and elderly volunteers. Data from
that study were presented at the Alzheimer's Association
International Conference (AAIC) in Chicago July 22-26,
2018.
About Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP)
PSP, also known as Steele-Richardson-Olszewski syndrome, is a
rapidly progressing neurodegenerative disorder. PSP is often
misdiagnosed because it is relatively rare and certain symptoms are
similar to Parkinson's disease. However, PSP is much more common
than previously believed. Its prevalence is about three to six
people per 100,000 individuals. Symptoms generally appear in the
60s-70s but can affect people from the age of 40 onwards. There are
currently no treatments available to cure this disease.
SOURCE Asceneuron SA