To lead IND enabling team to support the filing of BA-1049, a ROCK2 inhibitor for cerebral cavernous malformation, an orphan disease
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BioAxone BioSciences, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing innovative drugs to restore neurological function, today welcomed Eric Floyd, Ph.D., and Darryl Patrick, DVM, Ph.D., to lead the company’s Investigational New Drug (IND) enabling team to support the planned IND filing for BA-1049, a new chemical entity in development to target cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM).
Lisa McKerracher, Ph.D., CEO of BioAxone BioSciences noted, “I am excited to have Eric and Darryl on board. I look forward to leveraging their experience with IND enablement as we work to bring BA-1049 into clinical trials. Our work in CCM is a natural follow-on to our expertise in spinal cord injury where we are in Phase 2b/3 clinical trials in partnership with Vertex.”
Eric Floyd has extensive experience working with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and has led global regulatory affairs and quality assurance divisions within Novartis, Cephalon, Hospira and, most recently, Lundbeck.
Darryl Patrick’s expertise includes early drug development efforts, and in particular those focused on novel therapeutic targets with unmet needs. Previously, he led exploratory and nonclinical development for Vertex overseeing toxicology and absorption.
About BA-1049
BA-1049 is a first-in-class Rho kinase 2 (ROCK2) inhibitor targeting the protein kinase that causes cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM). BA-1049 normalizes ROCK2 signaling in brain endothelial cells thus restoring the blood-brain barrier function.
About Cerebral Cavernous Malformation (CCM)
Cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) is a serious genetic disease which allows blood to leak into the brain. In patients with CCM, endothelial cells form single or multiple cystic brain lesions that leak and may cause seizure, hemorrhagic stroke and neurological deficits. Inherited cases of CCM are caused by loss of function in one of the 3 CCM genes (CCM1, CCM2 and CCM3) and the numbers of lesions rise with age, increasing risk of a hemorrhagic event. Sporadic cases result from mutations in the same genes.
About BioAxone BioSciences
BioAxone BioSciences is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing innovative drugs to restore neurological function for patients with Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) and vascular malformations in central nervous system with unmet medical needs. Led by a team of scientists renowned for their work on axon regeneration and neuronal signaling pathways, BioAxone has a pioneering SCI drug currently in a Phase 2b/3 clinical trial with Vertex, and is positioned to move other candidates into clinical trials. For more information, visit www.bioaxonebio.com
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