Abeona Therapeutics appoints Dr João Siffert as CEO

– USA, NY – Abeona Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:ABEO), a leading clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel cell and gene therapies for serious diseases, today announced the appointment of João Siffert, M.D. as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.

Dr. Siffert joined Abeona as Head of Research & Development and Chief Medical Officer in 2018, and has served as interim CEO since November of last year. Dr. Siffert will retain his responsibilities as Head of R&D and CMO until a clinical development lead is identified.

“The Board is confident that João has the right mix of character, leadership, and knowledge to focus Abeona on achieving near-term goals that will pave the way to long-term value for the company,” said Steven H. Rouhandeh, Chairman of the Board and Executive Chairman. “His track record of leading successful therapeutic development programs and his experience at the Board level in gene therapy are well-suited to the opportunities that lie ahead for Abeona.”

About Dr João Siffert

Dr. Siffert has successfully led multiple drug development programs from pre-clinical to regulatory approvals and commercial launches in the U.S. and Europe, and has held several scientific leadership positions in biotech and pharma, including programs in gene therapy. In 2017, Dr. Siffert was appointed to the Board of Directors of gene therapy developer AveXis, which was subsequently acquired by Novartis. He served as Chief Medical Officer for Ceregene from 2007 to 2011, where he was responsible for clinical development of adeno-associated viral (AAV2)-based gene therapies for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Dr. Siffert also led the R&D and medical organizations at Avanir Pharmaceuticals and Avera Pharmaceuticals before most recently guiding translational research, clinical development, regulatory, and medical affairs and health economics as Chief Scientific and Medical Officer for Nestle Health Science. Before joining industry, Dr. Siffert spent seven years in academic practice as a neuro-oncologist. He holds an M.D. from the University of São Paulo and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

“I am honored to assume the role of CEO and thankful for the Board’s confidence in me. I look forward to leading and standing alongside a dedicated team of employees who are committed to bringing transformative treatments for patients in need,” said Dr. Siffert. “The combination of important clinical milestones on the near term horizon, a world-class cell and gene therapy manufacturing facility, and the therapeutic potential of the next-generation AIM vector platform make this an exciting time to take the helm.”

About Abeona Therapeutics

Abeona Therapeutics Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing cell and gene therapies for life-threatening rare genetic diseases. Abeona’s lead programs include EB-101, its gene-corrected cell therapy for recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, and ABO-102, a novel AAV9 based gene therapy for Sanfilippo syndrome type A (MPS IIIA). The Company’s portfolio of AAV9 based gene therapies also features ABO-101 for Sanfilippo syndrome type B (MPS IIIB), and ABO-201 and ABO-202 for CLN3 disease and CLN1 disease, respectively. Its preclinical assets include ABO-401, which uses the novel AIM™ AAV vector platform to address all mutations of cystic fibrosis. Abeona has received numerous regulatory designations from the FDA and EMA for its pipeline candidates and is the only company with Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy designation for two investigational therapies (EB-101 and ABO-102).

For more information : http://www.abeonatherapeutics.com

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Talent4Boards Team

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