Directors Appointed from Senior Leadership Teams of J&J and Atalanta
Appointment of Chief Operating Officer Continues Building of Neuroscience Focused Team of Accomplished Professionals
ATLANTA and BOSTON, May 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ABLi Therapeutics (“ABLi”), a biotechnology company developing therapeutics to address diseases that arise from activation of Abelson Tyrosine Kinases (c-Abl kinases), announces appointments that expand its senior leadership team and its Board of Directors.
Two new Directors expand the Board in both operational and strategic expertise and finance to help the company prepare for and execute its strategy across multiple Phase 3 programs:
Dr. Anastasia Daifotis has over 25 years of pharmaceutical experience working in both large pharma (Johnson & Johnson and Merck) and small biopharma in senior roles in clinical development, medical affairs, health economics, market access and commercial. Most recently, Dr. Daifotis was Chief Scientific Officer of North America at Johnson & Johnson, Innovative Medicine, and was the medical voice on the Americas Commercial Leadership Team. At Merck, Dr. Daifotis held ascending global roles across R&D (Product Development Team Leader, Vice President, Therapeutic Area Head, Bone, Endocrine, Immunology and Analgesia), Medical Affairs (Vice President, Global Medical Affairs), and Commercial (General Manager, Bone, Respiratory, Arthritis and Analgesia). She led Product Development and was the Worldwide Business Strategy Team Leader and inventor of Fosamax Once Weekly. In her career, Dr. Daifotis led or contributed to development and/or commercialization of multiple therapeutic modalities (e.g. small, antibodies, CAR T-cell, vaccines) across an array of therapeutic areas (e.g. oncology, immunology, bone, diabetes, neuroscience, cardiology, and other select diseases) and was instrumental in the development of Fosamax, Margenza and Tzield.
Mr. Jeffrey Young has more than 25 years of experience in finance and capital markets at life sciences and medical technology companies. He currently serves as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer at Atalanta Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing treatments for diseases of the CNS using RNA interference, where he leads teams across finance, accounting and tax, among other efforts, facilitated the Company’s recent successful Series B financings, and developed corporate and commercial strategy. Earlier in his career, Mr. Young held CFO roles at both private and NASDAQ-listed companies, including Axial Therapeutics, Juniper Pharmaceutical, Ova Science, Transmedics Group, and Lantheus Medical Imaging. Mr. Young began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers as a certified public accountant and holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Georgetown University.
The Company has also expanded its executive team with the appointment of Christopher R. Meyer to Chief Operating Officer. Chris is a seasoned executive with 25+ years of global experience in operations and program management. He has excelled in executing all aspects of late-stage clinical trials, with a particular focus on neurodegeneration in his career. In his most recent role as Vice President of Clinical Operations at Inhibikase Therapeutics, Chris led efforts to advance therapies for Parkinson’s disease and Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. Prior to Inhibikase, Chris held roles of increasing responsibility at Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Lonza, Axial Therapeutics, and Alkermes where he honed his expertise in manufacturing, program and alliance management, late-stage clinical operations, and commercial strategy. Chris has an MBA in International Business from Northeastern University and a BS in Mechanical Engineering with a Biomechanics Worcester Polytechnic Institute,
“The appointment of Dr. Daifotis and Mr. Young form the cornerstone of ABLi’s governance structure that will position ABLi to become a major force in the development of transformative products to modify the course of Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases,” said Dr. Milton Werner, ABLi’s Chief Executive Officer. “Adding Chris Meyer to our growing team will ensure continued success in trial and strategy execution as risvodetinib enters a pivotal stage of development.”
“I’m delighted to join the Board of Directors at ABLi and work with the world-class neuroscience leadership team that Dr. Werner has assembled to take on the challenge of halting or reversing Parkinson’s Disease. I look forward to working with Dr. Werner and Mr. Young to enable and accelerate the efforts at ABLi,” said Dr. Daifotis.
"It is a privilege to join the Board of Directors at ABLi during such an exciting time. I want to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Werner for his exceptional dedication and drive to move the company forward. As we look ahead, I am eager to work alongside Dr. Werner, Dr. Daifotis and the entire ABLi team to provide further resources and strategic support to ABLi," noted Mr. Young.
About Risvodetinib (ABLi-148009)
Risvodetinib is a potent, selective small-molecule inhibitor of the non-receptor c-Abl kinases, designed for once-daily oral use that targets the underlying biological mechanisms driving Parkinson’s disease initiation and progression. Risvodetinib is believed to be a disease-modifying therapy that halts disease progression and reverses the functional loss arising from Parkinson’s disease inside and outside of the brain. All marketed therapeutic approaches to treat Parkinson’s help manage the symptoms of the disease, but there are currently no available treatments to slow or stop the disease’s relentless progression. Recently, risvodetinib was the first monotherapy to improve patient quality of life in a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial (NCT NCT05424276) and simultaneously reduced the underlying disease pathology in untreated Parkinson’s disease. Risvodetinib currently has intellectual property protection beyond 2036.
About ABLi Therapeutics
ABLi Therapeutics (“ABLi”) applies innovative medicinal chemistry and a deep understanding of disease biology to develop small molecule therapeutics that target the cause of diseases that arise from activation or dysfunction of the Abelson Tyrosine Kinases (c-Abl). Leveraging its expertise in drug design, ABLi utilizes clinically validated data of kinase inhibitors to design and develop novel product candidates with enhanced penetration into the brain, greater potency and target selectivity, and improved safety to treat diseases in which Abl kinase activation or dysfunction is implicated. The Company’s primary focus is on developing therapeutics for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease and the Parkinson’s-related neurodegenerative diseases Multiple System Atrophy and Dementia with Lewy Body that are all associated with Abl kinase activation or dysfunction. For more information visit www.ablitherapeutics.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
Contacts:
For ABLi Therapeutics
Milton H Werner PhD
Chairman & CEO
info@ablitherapeutics.com
Investor/Media
Mike Moyer
Managing Director – LifeSci Advisors
mmoyer@lifesciadvisors.com
