SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Tacere Therapeutics, Inc., an innovative biotechnology company specializing in the development of RNAi therapeutics to treat serious infectious diseases, announced today that Linda B. Couto, Ph.D., has joined as Vice President, Research and Development.
Prior to Tacere, Dr. Couto was the Senior Director of Preclinical Biology at Benitec Ltd. Previously she held a number of positions at Avigen, Inc., ultimately as Senior Director of Applied Research. At Avigen, she conducted research on AAV gene transfer to treat a number of inherited diseases. Dr. Couto was responsible for the preclinical translational research that led to the successful filing of two investigational new drug applications (INDs) for hemophilia B. From 1990-1995, she was a research scientist at Somatix working in the area of ex vivo gene therapy. She has published numerous articles and book chapters, including several on the development of RNAi therapeutics for infectious disease. She holds a Ph.D. in molecular toxicology from MIT.
Sara M. Hall, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tacere, commented, “We are pleased that Linda has joined our team, as she was one of the key developers of our lead clinical candidate for the treatment of Hepatitis C, TT-033i. Her experience in RNAi therapeutic development and gene medicine in general allows us to advance TT-033i to clinical trials quickly and fully informed by the past. RNAi has advanced as a therapeutic modality so quickly, from proof of concept to Phase 2 clinical trials in less than four years, that it is critical for us to remain at the forefront through scientific leadership. As there are few in the field with the knowledge and experience of Linda, it is to our advantage that she has chosen to continue to work with us on this potential cure for Hepatitis C.”
Tacere was founded by Sara M. Hall; Mike Catelani, Chairman, SVP & CFO of Tacere; Dr. John Monahan, founder and former CEO of Avigen, Inc.; and Dr. Amit Kumar, CEO of CombiMatrix Corporation. Scientific advisors of Tacere include notable scientists and clinicians Dr. Paul Pockros, Director of the Liver Disease Center and Scripps Clinic Research Consortium; Dr. Robert Lanford, Scientist at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research and the Southwest National Primate Research Center; and Dr. Jonathan Coates, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Avexa Ltd.
About Tacere Therapeutics, Inc.
Tacere is an innovative biotechnology company focused on developing therapeutics to treat serious infectious diseases using its proprietary knowledge in the screening and development of both novel and traditional compounds. Tacere is located in San Jose, California, USA. Its lead therapeutic compound is TT-033i, an RNA interference (RNAi) drug for the treatment of Hepatitis C. For additional information, please visit www.tacerebio.com.
CONTACTS: TACERE THERAPEUTICS, INC. Mike Catelani, Chairman, SVP & CFO +1 (408) 960-2205 mcatelani@tacerebio.com MEDIA CONTACT: Gregory Tiberend Richard Lewis Communications, Inc. +1 (212) 827-0020 gtiberend@rlcinc.com
Tacere Therapeutics, Inc.
CONTACT: Mike Catelani, Chairman, SVP & CFO, of Tacere Therapeutics, Inc.,+1-408-960-2205, or mcatelani@tacerebio.com; or Gregory Tiberend of RichardLewis Communications, Inc., +1-212-827-0020, or gtiberend@rlcinc.com
Web site: http://www.tacerebio.com/
