Anavex Life Sciences Promotes Walter E Kaufmann, M.D. to Chief Scientific Officer and Appoints Edward R Hammond, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., as Chief Medical Officer
06 January 2022 - 11:00PM
Anavex Life Sciences Corp. (“Anavex” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq:
AVXL), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing
differentiated therapeutics for the treatment of neurodegenerative
and neurodevelopmental disorders including Alzheimer’s disease,
Parkinson’s disease, Rett syndrome and other central nervous system
(CNS) disorders, today announced that Walter E Kaufmann, M.D. has
been promoted to Chief Scientific Officer and Edward R Hammond,
M.D., M.P.H., PhD, has been appointed Chief Medical Officer,
effective immediately.
Before joining Anavex over three years ago, Dr.
Kaufmann was the Director of the Center for Translational Research
at the Greenwood Genetic Center, where he also held the Ravenel
Boykin Curry Chair in Genetic Therapeutics. He holds adjunct
appointments at Emory University School of Medicine, where he is an
Adjunct Professor of Human Genetics. Dr. Kaufmann is also a Simons
Investigator at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Simons
Center for the Social Brain. Before these academic appointments,
Dr. Kaufmann was a Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School
and a Professor of Pathology, Neurology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry,
and Radiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of
Medicine.
Dr. Hammond, who brings more than 15 years of
exceptional expertise in clinical drug development, including the
approval of medicines and beyond, previously worked with the Astra
Zeneca Group, where he took on increasing responsibilities
including Head of Epidemiology Center of Excellence and leadership
for established brands, and for life cycle management within the
respiratory franchise.
“We are thrilled that Dr. Hammond is bringing to
Anavex his strong industry and operational leadership at a time
when our two oral, first-in-class product candidates are advancing
in the clinic,” said Christopher U Missling, PhD, President and
Chief Executive Officer of Anavex. “Dr. Hammond has deep experience
in drug development, including rare diseases and increasing chronic
diseases of global burden and importance, which will prove valuable
for our clinical development and registration strategies. His
career-long focus on robust and innovative clinical trial design
and execution to improve the quality of patient care is an
excellent fit with our vision and culture, which is dedicated to
making a fundamental difference in patients’ lives.”
“I’m excited to join Anavex at this time of
important growth and evolution of the Company,” said Dr. Hammond.
“Anavex is a leader in the investigation of precision medicine in
the field of CNS and is rapidly advancing several promising oral
medicines to treat a range of serious diseases. Together with our
experienced leadership team, I look forward to helping Anavex
continue to accelerate the development of our pipeline and bring
innovative new medicines to patients.”
Dr. Hammond, who joined recently, is a
Physician-Scientist, Clinical Epidemiologist and Public Health
practitioner with exceptional biopharmaceutical industry and
academic expertise, encompassing strategic understanding for drug
development and proven leadership. Dr. Hammond has successfully
conceptualized and implemented several early and late-stage
clinical trials and been involved in successful drug development
programs with approvals in the US and globally. Dr. Hammond’s focus
is on an integrative, innovative, and efficient drug development
continuum for which he has exceptional expertise spanning drug
discovery, translational medicine, clinical trial design and
analysis, medical affairs, pharmacovigilance, health outcomes,
value propositioning and access strategies to facilitate deep
understanding in support of drug development and post-marketing
activities. He has published over 60 full scientific manuscripts
and book chapters and served as a reviewer for several medical
journals.
About Anavex Life Sciences Corp.
Anavex Life Sciences Corp. (Nasdaq: AVXL) is a
publicly traded biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the
development of differentiated therapeutics for the treatment of
neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders including
Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Rett syndrome and other
central nervous system (CNS) diseases, pain, and various types of
cancer. Anavex’s lead drug candidate, ANAVEX®2-73 (blarcamesine),
successfully completed a Phase 2a clinical trial for Alzheimer’s
disease and recently a Phase 2 proof-of-concept study in
Parkinson’s disease dementia and a Phase 2 study in adult patients
with Rett syndrome. ANAVEX®2-73 is an orally available drug
candidate that restores cellular homeostasis by targeting sigma-1
and muscarinic receptors. Preclinical studies demonstrated its
potential to halt and/or reverse the course of Alzheimer’s disease.
ANAVEX®2-73 also exhibited anticonvulsant, anti-amnesic,
neuroprotective, and anti-depressant properties in animal models,
indicating its potential to treat additional CNS disorders,
including epilepsy. The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s
Research previously awarded Anavex a research grant, which fully
funded a preclinical study to develop ANAVEX®2-73 for the treatment
of Parkinson’s disease. ANAVEX®3-71, which targets sigma-1 and
muscarinic receptors, is a promising clinical stage drug candidate
demonstrating disease-modifying activity against the major
hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease in transgenic (3xTg-AD) mice,
including cognitive deficits, amyloid, and tau pathologies. In
preclinical trials, ANAVEX®3-71 has shown beneficial effects on
mitochondrial dysfunction and neuroinflammation. Further
information is available at www.anavex.com. You can also connect
with the company on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are not
strictly historical in nature are forward-looking statements. These
statements are only predictions based on current information and
expectations and involve a number of risks and uncertainties.
Actual events or results may differ materially from those projected
in any of such statements due to various factors, including the
risks set forth in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form
10-K filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue
reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as
of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in
their entirety by this cautionary statement and Anavex Life
Sciences Corp. undertakes no obligation to revise or update this
press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date
hereof.
For Further Information:
Anavex Life Sciences Corp.Research &
Business DevelopmentToll-free: 1-844-689-3939Email:
info@anavex.com
Investors:Andrew J.
BarwickiInvestor RelationsTel: 516-662-9461Email:
andrew@barwicki.com
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