Antisense Therapeutics (ASX:ANP) has announced the appointment of Dr Charmaine Gittleson as a new non-executive director of the company.
Dr Gittleson is a senior executive with extensive international experience as a pharmaceutical physician and enterprise leader in pharmaceutical drug development, governance and risk management gained during her 15-year tenure (2005-2020) with CSL.
During her time at CSL, Dr Gittleson had at various times accountability for clinical research, medical safety, medical and patient-related ethics for development and on market programs, providing leadership in strategic product development, planning and implementation across multiple therapeutic and rare disease areas.
Dr Gittleson is a qualified medical physician and holds a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery both from the University of Witwatersrand and an Australian Medical Council Qualification. Dr Gittleson is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Stanford University’s Company Directors Course.
Antisense Therapeutics chair Bob Moses said, “Dr Gittleson brings to our Board absolutely ideal clinical development, regulatory and commercialization experience at the perfect time for the Company as we approach launch of our Phase IIb clinical trial of ATL1102 for treatment of Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy.
"We are extremely pleased to have attracted someone of Charmaine’s calibre. Charmaine will add an immediate, constructive, and very welcome contribution to the Board. In my opinion, Dr Gittleson’s acceptance is an outstanding endorsement of Antisense Therapeutics and its technology development pipeline.”
Dr Gittleson added, “I am thrilled to be joining the Antisense Therapeutics Board at this key juncture in the development pathway of ATL1102. My corporate career has been dedicated to working in rare diseases and the communities and being able to continue contributing, now to the Duchenne’s community with a novel and robust scientific approach is inspiring.”
Dr Gittleson’s appointment is effective immediately and will be confirmed with shareholders following the 2021 annual general meeting. At that meeting, current non-executive director Dr Graham Mitchell will retire from the company's board.
The board said it would like to thank Dr Mitchell for nearly 20 years of contribution to the growth and successful stewardship of the company. The company said Dr Mitchell is expected to continue to provide support in an ongoing consultant capacity.
Dr Mitchell said, “It is wonderful to be passing the baton to another CSL executive. I am particularly happy to have contributed to the earlier research and clinical stages of the company’s development, which aligned with my science background. I am pleased that the appointment of Charmaine truly reflects the advanced stage of product development within the Company. The prospects are such that I look forward to having ongoing active interest in assured successful progress of ANP.”