Autoimmune Disease Company Hires Life Science Industry Experts to Lead Company Through Next Stage into Human Clinical Studies with Novel Oral Small Molecule AX-158 [13-May-2020] CAMBRIDGE, Mass. , May 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Artax Biopharma, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on transforming autoimmune disease treatment, announces their expanded management team, b
| CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Artax Biopharma, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on transforming autoimmune disease treatment, announces their expanded management team, being led by newly appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Joseph Lobacki. Comprised of immunology industry leaders and scientists, the team represents deep expertise in drug discovery, development and collaborations from some of the world’s most prestigious institutions.
Artax Biopharma is poised to enter clinical trials with the small molecule AX-158, a novel approach to treat multiple autoimmune diseases without causing the immune suppression commonly associated with current autoimmune disease therapies. Joseph Lobacki assumes the helm of Artax Biopharma after more than three decades of leadership including research, development, and commercial experience in executive roles across large and small biopharmaceutical companies, including Sanofi Genzyme, Medivation, Verastem, and Micromet. The former CEO, Damia Tormo, will continue as a member of the Board of Directors and we thank Dr. Tormo for his years of work in founding and building Artax. “We are thrilled to have such a strategic and experienced leader as Joseph Lobacki steering Artax from our new US headquarters at this seminal time,” stated Artax Biopharma’s Executive Chairman of the Board Alan Walts, Ph.D. “His deep experience will prove invaluable as Artax’s first oral agent to treat autoimmune disease prepares to enter the clinic.” The Artax Biopharma management team includes Joseph Lobacki, CEO; Chris VanDeusen, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer (CSO); Richard P. Polisson, M.D., MHSc, Chief Medical Officer (CMO); Karen LaRochelle, MBA, Chief Business Officer (CBO), and Andres Gagete, Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer, (COO). “I am excited to lead these incredibly talented and experienced professionals in our Cambridge location as we fulfill the Artax mission to make our treatments available as quickly as possible to patients who suffer from autoimmune diseases. This team possesses the critical knowledge and experience to progress our novel immunomodulator into clinical development and to drive this important mission forward,” added Mr. Lobacki. Prior to Artax, Mr. Lobacki most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer for Verastem, Inc.; Chief Operating Officer of Finch Therapeutics Group, and Chief Commercial Officer and Executive Council Member of Medivation, where he led a period of strong revenue growth for prostate cancer treatment Xtandi®. Mr. Lobacki also held previous roles as Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Micromet, Inc., and Senior Vice President and General Manager at Genzyme Corporation. Mr. Lobacki served as a director of Celator Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Jazz Pharmaceuticals) and is currently on the Boards of Sutro Biopharma and Artax Biopharma. As CSO, Dr. VanDeusen will lead Artax’s scientific, research and translational areas. Dr. VanDeusen brings more than 15 years of biopharmaceutical experience and extensive expertise in drug discovery and development. He is also an inventor and key contributor to multiple preclinical development compounds. Previously, Dr. VanDeusen headed the chemistry division and was a global project team leader within Tissue Protection and Repair at Sanofi Genzyme. Dr. Polisson, in his role as Artax’s CMO, will direct the company’s clinical development strategy. With 30 years of clinical and translational research experience, Dr. Polisson joins Artax from the Sanofi Genzyme Research and Development Center where he was Senior Vice President and Translational Medicine Head directing discovery and translational medicine efforts across multiple therapeutic areas. Previously, Dr. Polisson served as Associate Professor of Medicine, Arthritis Unit Clinical Director at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. As Chief Business Officer, Karen LaRochelle, MBA will lead all partner- and investor-related interactions. With more than 25 years of biopharmaceutical strategy and collaborations experience, her expertise in mergers & acquisitions includes a deep history transacting for biotech companies, with several transactions exceeding $1 billion. Prior to Artax, Ms. LaRochelle was Chief Business Officer of PsiOxus Therapeutics. Previously in her career, Ms. LaRochelle spent nearly 20 years with Bristol-Myers Squibb focused on strategy and transactions. Dr. Gagete, as Artax’s COO, is currently coordinating research & development and operations for Artax. Dr. Gagete has more than a decade of experience in the biotech and academic sectors and was previously the Innovation Director for Bioncotech Therapeutics. About Immunomodulation About Artax-158 About Artax Biopharma
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