– USA, PA – SwanBio Therapeutics, a gene therapy company advancing AAV-based therapies for the treatment of devastating, genetically defined neurological conditions, today announced the appointments of Patty Allen, former CFO of Zafgen, Inc.; Dr. Danny Bar-Zohar, M.D., Global Head of Development at Merck KGaA; and Dr. Alex Hamilton, Ph.D., Partner at Syncona, to the Board of Directors.
In addition to her role as a non-executive Director, Ms. Allen will serve as the Chair of SwanBio’s Audit Committee.
“SwanBio has been making tremendous progress in the advancement of our AAV-based pipeline of therapeutics for the treatment of neurological diseases, and we are thrilled to expand our Board of Directors with these key appointments,” said CEO, Tom Anderson. “Patty, Danny and Alex each bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise within their individual focus-areas, and their insights will be invaluable as we advance toward becoming a clinical company. We look forward to benefiting from their experience and collaborating on the important work ahead to deliver new medicines to patients with devastating diseases.”
About Patty Allen
Ms. Allen is a business finance and operations leader with more than 25 years of experience leading private and public companies through initial public offerings, equity, and debt financings, SEC reporting, investor relations, sell-side and buy-side, strategic and long-range planning, FP&A, treasury, risk management, and business development. Most recently, she served as Chief Financial Officer of Zafgen, Inc. from 2013-2020. Before Zafgen, Ms. Allen was an independent financial consultant from 2011-2012; served as Vice President of Finance, Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc from 2004-2011; and as Director of Finance at Alkermes from 1992-2004. Ms. Allen also serves as a Director on the Board of Directors of several biotechnology companies and serves as the Chair of their Audit Committees.
“I’m pleased to join the SwanBio Board of Directors, along with Danny and Alex, at this pivotal moment in the company’s evolution,” said Ms. Allen. “SwanBio is driven by an exceptional team and founded based on innovative science, with a gene therapy approach that could make a significant difference for several people who suffer from genetic neurological diseases. I am excited for the future of this company and the opportunity to help guide them forward.”
Ms. Allen graduated summa cum laude from Bryant College with a B.S. in business administration.
About Dr. Danny Bar-Zohar
Dr. Bar-Zohar is a certified physician with proven expertise in drug development and a personal commitment to change people’s lives by developing sustainable, transformative healthcare solutions using both traditional and emerging technologies. He was recently appointed Global Head of Development at Merck KGaA in Darmstadt, Germany. Before Merck KGaA, Dr. Bar-Zohar was a Partner at Syncona and held various roles at Novartis Pharma AG from 2013-2020, most recently serving as Global Head, Clinical Development and Analytics. Before Novartis, Dr. Bar-Zohar held various clinical and medical affairs roles at Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries from 2006-2012. He obtained his medical doctor degree at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, and was trained in general surgery at the Tel-Aviv Medical Center.
About Dr. Alex Hamilton
Dr. Hamilton is an experienced financial leader within the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. Since SwanBio’s founding, Dr. Hamilton has played a key role in helping shape the company’s strategy as a Board Observer. Before joining Syncona, he was a member of the Healthcare Investment Banking team at Jefferies International, where he worked on a range of financings and mergers and acquisitions across the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and healthcare sectors. Dr. Hamilton received his Ph.D. in immunology from the University of Cambridge.
About SwanBio Therapeutics
SwanBio Therapeutics is a gene therapy company that aims to bring life-changing treatments to people with devastating, genetically defined neurological conditions. SwanBio is advancing a pipeline of AAV-based gene therapies, designed to be delivered intrathecally, that can address targets within both the central and peripheral nervous systems. This approach has the potential to be applied broadly across three disease classifications – spastic paraplegias, monogenic neuropathies, and polygenic neuropathies. SwanBio’s lead program is being advanced toward clinical development for the treatment of adrenomyeloneuropathy.
For more information: https://www.swanbiotx.com/
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