SENISCA appoints Tim Edwards as Chair of the Board
September 10 2024 - 2:00AM
Life-science leader with 30 years of experience
to guide SENISCA towards becoming a clinical stage novel
senotherapeutics company
Exeter, UK — 10 September 2024:
SENISCA SENISCA, a biotechnology company developing RNA based
therapeutics to target cellular senescence and treat age-related
disease, today announces the appointment of Tim Edwards as Chair of
the Board. He succeeds Dr. David Chiswell, Ph.D., OBE, Chairman of
the SENISCA Board since 2023, who recently passed away following a
short illness.
Tim Edwards has over 30 years of leadership
experience in the life-sciences sector, during which he has played
a major role in the development of several private and public
biotechnology companies.
Tim is currently Chair of Schroders Capital
Global Innovation Trust plc (LSE:INOV), providing access to the
leading growth businesses of the future, wherever they are in the
world. He also serves as Chair of Storm Therapeutics Ltd, EndLyz
Therapeutics Inc. and AstronauTx Ltd.
He joins the Board of SENISCA having led two
companies to exit by trade sale, as Chair of Atopix Therapeutics
Limited acquired by Chiesi Farmaceutici S.P.A. in 2016 and
President and Chief Executive Officer of Cellzome Inc. acquired by
GlaxoSmithKline plc in 2012.
Tim has also been a past Chair of the UK
BioIndustry Association and has served as a Governing Board member
of InnovateUK, the UK's Innovation agency, Non-Executive Director
of the Cell & Gene Therapy Catapult, and a member of the
Department of Health Ministerial Industry Strategy Group (Life
Sciences).
Dr. Sarah Cole, CEO of SENISCA,
commented: “We are honoured to welcome Tim to lead the
Board at SENISCA. His extensive knowledge of the sector and deep
experience in guiding growth companies to their next stage of
development will be invaluable to SENISCA as we continue our
journey towards becoming a clinical stage novel senotherapeutics
company.
“We also pay tribute to our friend and colleague
David Chiswell, who will be remembered for his enormous
contributions to the UK life-sciences. Our thoughts are with his
family at this time.”
Tim Edwards, Chairman of the Board of
SENISCA commented: “I am very pleased to join SENISCA at
an important stage in the development of this exciting company. The
rapidly emerging field of senotherapeutics has enormous potential
to transform the treatment of age-related conditions. As Chair I
look forward to working with SENISCA’s Board and Leadership Team as
we continue to make progress and begin to realise this
potential.”
- Ends -
For more informationSarah
ColeChief Executive Officer, SENISCAinfo@senisca.com
For mediaICR ConsiliumChris
Welsh, Evi Usehchris.welsh@icrhealthcare.com
About SENISCA
SENISCA is an award-winning, RNA therapeutics spinout from the
University of Exeter. The Company is focused on modulating RNA
biology to treat conditions of ageing. Underpinned by more than 15
years of world-leading research, SENISCA has identified an
officially recognized, novel and druggable component of the
cellular ageing (senescence) response, which can be specifically
targeted in the context of multiple pharmacological and skin health
indications.
The Company is developing a portfolio of
proprietary therapeutics, that target cell senescence
(senotherapeutics) for the treatment of age-related disease.
SENISCA’s senotherapeutics specifically target the novel cellular
pathway which leads to partial reprogramming of the senescent cells
and positively impacts markers of disease modification in complex
patient-derived models.
SENISCA’s platform technology has broad
applicability for ageing conditions and the treatment of multiple
age-related diseases including those of the eyes, lungs, joints,
and brain. For many such diseases, current treatments are
palliative rather than curative, with varying success rates. These
diseases represent a high unmet medical need, are amenable to a
local route of therapeutic administration and are driven by
senescence. Targeting these specific diseases will streamline
progress towards the clinic by avoiding potential pitfalls of
systemic delivery.
SENISCA’s novel senotherapeutics will be mined
and commercialized through partnership or co-development models
that will sit alongside internal programmes. If you would like to
learn more about SENISCA, please contact Jennie Jepperson,
Executive Assistant at SENISCA (Jennie.Jepperson@senisca.com).