SalioGen Therapeutics Strengthens its Leadership Team to Advance its Gene Coding™ Platform
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SalioGen Therapeutics, a privately held biotechnology company developing Gene CodingTM, a new category of genetic medicine, today announced the expansion of its leadership team with the addition of five highly accomplished scientists, physicians and biotech industry leaders. The company’s new appointments include:
- Cathryn Clary, M.D., MBA, as Senior Vice President of Clinical Development and Chief Medical Officer;
- Pat Sacco as Senior Vice President of Manufacturing, Quality, and Operations;
- Joe Senn, Ph.D. as Senior Vice President of Nonclinical Development;
- Feng Yao, Ph.D. as Vice President of Research—Molecular Switch and Gene Regulation; and
- Oleg Iartchouk, Ph.D. as Vice President of Genomics and Biomarkers.
“As we continue to build on our foundational scientific discoveries and propel our research and development activities toward the clinic, we welcome Cathryn, Pat, Joe, Feng and Oleg to help drive our progress. The additions of these esteemed experts, each distinguished in their respective specialties, will serve to accelerate our growth by supporting core R&D activities, clinical preparations, and quality and operational needs,” said Ray Tabibiazar, M.D., chief executive officer and chairman of SalioGen. “We look forward to benefitting from their leadership as they help to maximize the potential impact of Gene Coding not only on the genetic medicines industry, but on patients around the world.”
Cathryn Clary, M.D., MBA previously served as Senior Vice President of Medical at SSI Strategy, a medical consulting firm. She also served as the acting Chief Medical Officer at clinical-stage gene therapy company Solid Biosciences. Dr. Clary served as both Global Head of Policy and Patient Affairs in the Chief Medical & Patient Safety Office, as well as Chief Scientific Officer and Head of U.S. Medical Affairs and Clinical Development in the General Medicines Division at Novartis. Prior to her experience at Novartis, she served in several executive roles at Pfizer, where she was responsible for the medical aspects of Zoloft worldwide, and ultimately became the SVP of US Medical Affairs for the entire Pfizer portfolio across multiple therapeutic areas.
Pat Sacco is highly experienced as a biotechnology and life sciences executive in technical and general operations. Most recently, as an independent consultant, he has worked with a number of advanced therapy medicinal product (ATMP) biotech companies, CDMOs, and specialized program management clients. Previously, he was the Senior Vice President of Technical Operations at both Translate Bio and Shire (now Takeda), and prior to that held roles of increasing responsibility at Wyeth Biopharma (formerly Genetics Institute) and Genzyme. He has contributed to the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of the enzyme replacement therapies REPLAGAL®, ELAPRASE®, and VPRIV®.
Joe Senn, Ph.D. has experience with nearly all therapeutic modalities, including small molecules, biologics, antisense, gene editing and mRNA therapeutics. He most recently served as the Vice President of Nonclinical Development at Moderna Therapeutics for eight years, where he and his team were responsible for progressing over 40 candidates into the clinic. Prior to Moderna, Dr. Senn served as Site Head for Drug Safety at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, where he oversaw development of all immunology products across the portfolio.
Feng Yao, Ph.D. is the inventor of Invitrogen/Thermo Fisher Scientific’s T-Rex tetracycline gene switch, a powerful and specific mammalian transcription gene switch. Using this technology, Dr. Yao has established several unique approaches for the genetic engineering of novel recombinant viruses for use in clinical applications across infectious diseases, cancers and neural regeneration. His T-REx technology is widely used and referenced in publications and patent applications, including productions of several FDA approved antibody therapeutics and novel COVID-19 viral vector-based vaccine candidates developed by AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson. Before joining SalioGen Therapeutics, Dr. Yao was an Associate Professor of Surgery at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
Oleg Iartchouk, Ph.D. has built and led multiple genomics technology teams that were part of startup and large global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Prior to joining SalioGen, Dr. Iartchouk served as the Global Head of the global Genomics Platform Group at the Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, which established genomics applications several fields to advance Novartis’s cell and gene therapy portfolio—including CAR-T cell (Kymriah®) and gene (Zolgensma®) therapies. Dr. Iartchouk also built the Biomarkers Discovery group at the clinical diagnostics company Natera and the Applied Genomics team at Sanofi Oncology.
About SalioGen Therapeutics
SalioGen Therapeutics has launched Gene CodingTM, a genetic medicine platform, to develop durable, broadly applicable genetic medicines, using its Exact DNA Integration TechnologyTM (EDITTM) platform. EDIT is based on the novel mammal-derived genomic engineering tool, for use in potentially curative genetic medicines. SalioGen is focused on developing therapies for more patients with inherited diseases that are beyond what is addressable with current technologies, initially focusing on inherited macular disorders and inherited lipid disorders.
For more information, please visit www.saliogen.com, or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Words such as “may,” “believe,” “will,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend” and similar expressions (as well as other words or expressions referencing future events, conditions or circumstances) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and include statements regarding the additions of the esteemed experts serving to accelerate SalioGen’s growth by supporting core research & development activities, clinical preparations, and quality and operational needs, benefitting from their leadership as they help to maximize the potential impact of Gene Coding not only on the genetic medicines industry, but on patients around the world, and the potential of SalioGen’s Gene Coding approach, including its use in potentially curative genetic medicines. While SalioGen believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict, that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations and assumptions from those set forth or implied by any forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, the ability of SalioGen to position multiple therapeutic programs for clinical development, the ability of SalioGen to continue building out its Gene Coding platform, expand the company’s team, establish manufacturing and automation capabilities critical for Gene Coding and accelerate the advancement of SalioGen’s preclinical programs as planned, the ability of SalioGen to use its Gene Coding platform and Exact DNA Integration Technology in potentially curative genetic medicines. All forward-looking statements are based on SalioGen’s expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release. Actual results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, SalioGen expressly disclaims any responsibility to update any forward-looking statement contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Corporate Contact:
Sung You, M.S., MBA
SalioGen Therapeutics
investors@saliogen.com
Media Contact:
Amy Jobe, Ph.D.
LifeSci Communications
315-879-8192
ajobe@lifescicomms.com
