Antisense Therapeutics (ASX:ANP) has announced the appointment of Dr Gil Price as US-based consultant medical director.
Dr Price is a clinical physician trained in internal medicine with a long-standing focus on drug development, adverse drug reactions, drug utilisation and regulation. Dr Price is also an experienced biotech executive and investor with expertise across clinical asset investment strategy, evaluation, financing and execution.
From 2007 to 2016, Dr Price was a non-executive director of Sarepta Therapeutics, a company focused on the development of RNA technologies and gene therapy.
The company said Dr Price's initial focus will be on engaging with key opinion leaders on the treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and patient advocacy groups to help increase the awareness of its ATL1102 for DMD development program.
"Upon commencement of the Company’s pivotal trial of ATL1102 in Europe, Dr Price’s responsibilities will also include pharmacovigilance oversight, adverse event reporting and clinical safety monitoring," it said.
According to William Goolsbee, non-executive director of Antisense Therapeutics, “It is great news that Dr Price has agreed to join our team. We worked together for over eight years on the board of Sarepta from the very early moments of developing the exon-skipping drugs.
"Accessing Gil's deep understanding of DMD and his years of commercial development experience is a tremendous advance for our Company. Gil's skill set, combining the views of a physician, the rigours of a clinical scientist, understanding of the Patient Advocacy community and experience in translating these things to the capital markets will be a huge assistance in bringing the ATL1102 to the US, EU and beyond.
"Gil understands that, particularly with DMD, we need both scientific insight and a high sense of urgency to meet the crying unmet need of the boys and their families. Every day we remind ourselves that the clock is ticking and our patients are waiting.”
“I'm excited to join Antisense and collaborate with the executive leadership team to contribute to the company's mission of developing and delivering innovative medicines for patients and families living with DMD," said Dr Price.
"Going back to my early career as a pharmaceutical physician, my passions have always been focused on transforming the way medicine is practised through the delivery of breakthrough therapies. At Antisense, we have an opportunity to bring an unprecedented drug to treat DMD and possibly other diseases. I look forward to helping accelerate our program with the initiation of our Phase IIb trial and building the foundation to become a successful company focusing on neurodegenerative disease.”
“The addition of Dr. Price as a Consultant Medical Director is an exciting advance for the Company on many fronts. Having an in-house, US-based Medical Director provides us with a highly experienced pharmaceutical executive presence in the world’s largest pharmaceutical market. It also reflects the maturity and advanced stage of the Company’s clinical development and commercialisation plans," said CEO and managing director Mark Diamond.