CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Aug. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- The ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI), a leading research organization engaged in the discovery and development of a cure for ALS, today announced that its board of directors accepted the resignation of founder James “Jamie” Heywood as chief executive officer. Sean Scott was chosen by the board to lead the Institute, continuing as president in a planned transition that began earlier this year. Heywood will become a member of the board.
ALS TDI also named Maureen A. Lister as chief financial officer, formerly director of finance, treasurer and secretary at endoVia Medical, Inc., a developer of computer-assisted devices for minimally invasive medicine.
Heywood received a letter of commendation from the ALS TDI board of directors recognizing his contributions. “On behalf of ALS patients and their families everywhere, the board acknowledges with deep gratitude Jamie’s extraordinary vision, dedication, leadership and enterprise in building one of the world’s leading ALS drug discovery programs,” said Augie Nieto, chairman of the board.
“Sean Scott understands the needs of patients and researchers, having served TDI for more than seven years as a key executive and as an ALS family member who’s mother died from the disease. He has proven himself to be an exceptional leader and he has our unanimous vote of confidence to take the Institute forward.”
Mr. Scott came to the Institute in 2000 after his mother was diagnosed with ALS. Beginning as a volunteer, he quickly assumed the management and direction of the research and development program. He was responsible for developing the Institute’s pipeline software, which surveys all known therapeutics for their potential efficacy against ALS. Prior to Scott’s recruitment of Steve Perrin, Ph.D., as chief scientific officer, Scott’s team pioneered new pharmacological and surgical study designs and statistical techniques for a new generation of previously uncharacterized transgenic mice. Moreover, he directed the Institute’s drug screening program, attracting the attention of corporate research departments, building strong relationships to attract funding and accelerate the pace of drug development.
“As a result of our partnership with Augie’s Quest and MDA, ALS TDI is at a pivotal point in its growth and development as a world-class research organization,” said Jamie Heywood. “Under the guidance of Sean Scott, Steven Perrin, Maureen Lister, Augie Nieto and the rest of the management team, I’m confident the Institute is in good hands as it continues to aggressively seek out, develop, and deliver promising therapies for ALS.”
Faced with his 29-year-old brother Stephen’s diagnosis of ALS in 1998, Jamie founded ALS TDI and as the world’s first “non-profit biotechnology company” aimed at dramatically accelerating ALS research. Under Jamie’s leadership, ALS TDI was the first organization to run an open research program, posting in real time the results of its studies for patients, doctors, and the research community. Over 100 families have joined with the Heywood family and ALS TDI to raise tens of millions of dollars through its philanthropic, corporate and government programs, including the historic $36 million discovery research collaboration with Augie’s Quest and the Muscular Dystrophy Association announced earlier this year.
About ALS Therapy Development Institute
The ALS Therapy Development Institute (http://www.als.net), based in Cambridge, Mass., was founded in 1999 as the ALS Therapy Development Foundation. Re-named in 2006 as a result of its collaboration with the Muscular Dystrophy Association and its Augie’s Quest initiative, the Institute continues its mission to discover and develop drugs to treat ALS. A leader in ALS transgenic mouse studies, it excels in identifying novel disease targets, and screening potential treatments for ALS, as well as related neuro muscular disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington diseases.
NOTE: The letter of commendation that the ALS TDI Board of Directors presented to Jamie Haywood can be seen at http://www.als.net/articles/articleDetail.asp?preview=true&articleId=5282
ALS Therapy Development Institute
CONTACT: Sean A. Scott, President of ALS Therapy Development Institute,+1-415-215-3477, sscott@als.net; or Charles Versaggi, Ph.D.,+1-415-806-6039, cv@versaggibio.com, of Versaggi Biocommunications for ALSTherapy Development Institute
Web site: http://www.als.net/
