Expansion in the US is consistent with NodThera’s strategy to access world class talent, foster collaborative relationships and develop deep insights into inflammasome biology to drive diversified chemistry into the clinic.
Cambridge, UK, Boston, MA and Seattle, WA, 23rd October 2018. NodThera, a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of next generation NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors for the treatment of diseases driven by chronic inflammation, today announces the appointment of Alison Strutt PhD as Head of Finance & Operations and simultaneously launches its new corporate office in Boston, MA and laboratory in Seattle, WA.
Alison Strutt is a seasoned healthcare finance executive and joins NodThera from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) where she held a number of senior finance roles including as Chief of Staff to the Chief Finance Officer. Alison has extensive transactional and operational experience and most recently was responsible for transforming GSK’s reporting processes. Alison was also previously the CFO for the GSK’s Drug Discovery group where her remit spanned all therapeutic areas as well as establishing the Tres Cantos Open Lab and Catalyst Science Park at GSK’s UK R&D site. Prior to working for GSK, Alison led the UK M&A Life Sciences Sector group at Deloitte.
NodThera’s CEO, Adam Keeney will be based in the new corporate office in Lexington, MA, which will be expanded to include medical affairs, business development, operations and the strategic financing organisation. It is located in the heart of Boston’s healthcare ecosystem and is well positioned to access Boston’s deep talent pool and foster collaborations with key investigators and future pharma partners to drive forward NodThera’s US development strategy.
The new laboratory in Seattle will be the centre of NodThera’s NLRP3 biology and inflammasome research and is where NodThera’s VP of Biology, Chris Gabel will be located. NodThera plans to benefit from Chris’ deep experience in NLRP3 biology, complemented by the local scientific talent pool in Seattle which is home to both emerging and established life science organisations.
The office in Cambridge, UK will remain the headquarters of the Company and will focus on the leadership of all discovery efforts, including chemistry, biology and management of the CRO network for preclinical development.
Adam Keeney, President & CEO of NodThera, added: “Alison joins NodThera at a pivotal time in the Company’s development as we enter a period of growth and momentum. She brings with her significant strategic and financial experience in healthcare and I look forward to working with her in achieving our goal of bringing to the clinic multiple drug candidates across a range of chronic inflammatory indications”.
“I am also pleased to announce both the opening of our corporate office in Boston and our biology lab in Seattle, both renowned healthcare hubs that will ensure we’re well positioned to access world-class talent, strengthen relations with key collaborators and to further consider our future financing and partnering strategy.”
Alison Strutt, Head of Finance & Operations of NodThera, added: “I am delighted to be joining NodThera at this exciting time. The Company has an innovative approach that aims to transform years of in-depth inflammasome research into a pipeline of high value clinical drug candidates and I look forward to working with the team to build a leading company in NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition.”
About NodThera
NodThera is a private biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of next generation NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors for the treatment of diseases driven by chronic inflammation. The Company is led by a strong management team that combines a deep understanding of NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition with extensive pharmaceutical experience of drug discovery and development. NodThera is building a pipeline of small molecule NLRP3 inhibitors through a highly differentiated, next generation approach that builds on and enhances existing understanding of NLRP3 biochemistry and its role in inflammation. The Company’s investors include Sofinnova Partners, 5AM Ventures, Epidarex Capital and F-Prime Capital Partners. Selvita, which spun the Company out of its immunology research platform in August 2016, remains a shareholder. NodThera maintains offices in Cambridge, UK, Seattle, WA and Boston, MA. For more information please visit: www.nodthera.com
About NLRP3 inhibitors
NLRP3-driven chronic inflammation is known to be the root cause of a wide range of debilitating diseases. Inflammasomes are multi-protein complexes that initiate an innate immune response in the body. Chronic inflammation can occur when inflammasomes are inappropriately activated by ‘danger’ signals in the body, leading to a number of diseases such as neurodegeneration, certain cancers, metabolic, cardiovascular and immune-inflammatory diseases. NLRP3 inflammasomes are uniquely activated by a wide range of these ‘danger’ signals, and specific inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome has the potential to treat the chronic inflammation that drives these diseases. Selective NLRP3 inhibitors offer safety advantages, as they leave the rest of the innate immune response intact to respond to infection. NLRP3 inhibitors can be made to target different tissues and organs thereby giving a broad disease application, and they can be taken orally providing a simple treatment regimen for patients.
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