Veteran Translational Medicine and Clinical Development Leader Joins as Company Prepares to Advance its Lead Program for Remyelination in Multiple Sclerosis to Human Studies
WATERTOWN, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Progentos Therapeutics, a biotech company addressing the critical unmet need to regenerate myelin and restore function for patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and other demyelinating diseases, today announced that Paul Frohna, MD, PhD, has been named Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Frohna brings more than two decades of leadership as a physician-scientist and deep expertise in translational medicine, clinical development, and regulatory affairs, having led the development and subsequent approval of therapeutics for MS, fibrotic disease and cancer.
“Paul’s leadership in MS drug development and demonstrated ability to move novel science through the clinic and to approval, makes him a great fit as we advance our lead program for remyelination,” said Christopher Loose, PhD, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Progentos. “With a promising development candidate in hand, we are eager to begin clinical studies and to meet the need of MS patients who today have no treatments to restore and repair the myelin needed to prevent further disability.”
Dr. Frohna has successfully designed and initiated translational and clinical programs for biologics, small molecules, and peptides, and has contributed to five approved medicines. He began his industry career at Genentech where he was clinical lead for the Rituxan Phase 2 program for relapsing and primary progressive MS. There he patented the use of B-cell depleting therapy for MS, which later led to the development of ocrelizumab. He went on to be Vice President of Clinical Development at Fibrogen and later the Chief Medical Officer at Profibrix, before joining Receptos as Vice President of Clinical Development and Translational Medicine, where he oversaw clinical development of ozanimod (ZEPOSIA®) for relapsing MS and other immunology programs. He subsequently held CMO roles at ImCheck Therapeutics and Endeavor Biosciences before becoming a consulting CMO for emerging biotech companies.
“Developing an agent to induce remyelination of axons affected by MS is the next frontier in treating this disease. The Progentos team has shown unparalleled pre-clinical data, and I look forward to advancing its first-in-class development candidate to the clinic in the near term,” said Dr. Frohna. “In my career I have had opportunity to help develop medicines that today are part of the standard of care for MS. It is clear, however, that patients continue to need treatments to reverse and potentially repair the damage caused by MS. I believe Progentos has the potential to address this unmet need and to develop a range of other regenerative therapies with few or no treatment options.”
Dr. Frohna received his medical degree from Georgetown University, a PhD in pharmacology from the University of Pennsylvania, and a pharmacy degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a board director for Accure Therapeutics and on the scientific and clinical advisory board for IAMA Therapeutics, which focuses on developing novel neurotherapeutics. He has been published in leading scientific journals and is an author on more than sixty publications.
About Progentos Therapeutics
Progentos is developing first-in-class compounds to induce endogenous oligodendrocyte progenitor cells to remyelinate axons in patients suffering from MS and other demyelinating diseases. Combining expertise in chemistry, biology and in vivo models, Progentos discovers and develops novel small-molecule drugs to regenerate tissues in patients with degenerative diseases. The company was funded by a syndicate of investors led by Forbion and has operations in Watertown, MA, USA and Naarden, The Netherlands. More information can be found at www.progentos.com.
Contacts
Jason Glashow
Glashow Strategic Communications for Progentos Therapeutics
[email protected]
