CEO Dave
Fellows named non-Executive Chairman of the Board
Executive appointments follow $170 million Series B fundraise
LONDON and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 24,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Beacon Therapeutics Holdings
Limited ('Beacon' or 'the Company'), a leading ophthalmic gene
therapy company with a mission to save and restore the vision of
patients with blinding retinal diseases, today announced the
appointment of Lance Baldo, MD as
Chief Executive Officer, effective August
12, 2024, and Thomas
Biancardi as Chief Financial Officer, effective August 1, 2024.
Dr. Baldo brings more than 20 years of experience in
biopharmaceuticals including the successful launch of two new
indications and a new formulation for Lucentis while at Genentech.
Most recently, he served as Chief Medical Officer at Freenome, an
early cancer detection company, where he led the design and
execution of the Company's medical strategy to support its
pipeline, from clinical trials through registration and
commercialization. Prior to Freenome, Dr. Baldo was the Chief
Medical Officer at Adaptive Biotechnologies, serving as a member of
the senior leadership team through the transition from a private to
publicly traded company. He has also held numerous roles within the
Roche Group and its affiliates, including Senior Vice President and
Head of U.S. Medical Affairs of Genentech and Franchise Head for
Ophthalmology.
Dr. Baldo succeeds David Fellows,
who has served as CEO since Syncona Limited's acquisition of AGTC
in November 2022. Mr. Fellows will
assist during the transition and assume the role of non-Executive
Chairman of the Board in January
2025. During his tenure, Mr. Fellows oversaw the launch of
Beacon Therapeutics in June
2023, initiation of the Phase II DAWN trial and
registrational VISTA trial for AGTC-501 for the treatment of
X-Linked Retinitis Pigmentosa (XLRP), and the recent closing of
Beacon's $170 million Series B.
"I am honored and incredibly excited to join Beacon at this
important juncture for the Company. Dave and the team have guided
Beacon to the forefront of ophthalmic gene therapy with a robust
clinical pipeline of candidates poised to meaningfully improve the
treatment paradigms for patients with both rare and prevalent
blinding diseases," said Dr. Baldo. "With AGTC-501 in a
registrational study, world class science and incredible financial
backing, we are poised to make a run at a devastating inherited
retinal disease."
Beacon also appointed Thomas
Biancardi as the Chief Financial Officer, who assumes the
role from interim CFO Andrew
Prosser, effective August 1,
2024. Mr. Biancardi is a biopharmaceutical industry veteran
with over 25 years of financial and operational leadership
experience, predominantly within ophthalmology. During his career,
he has assisted numerous companies in raising capital, and
establishing clinical and commercial operations. As one of the
first employees of Ophthotech Corporation, he helped the Company
evolve from a pre-clinical venture-backed startup to a publicly
traded biotech company. He also played a crucial role in the
successful launch of the first pharmacologic treatment for macular
degeneration at Eyetech Pharmaceuticals.
"I am excited to serve as Beacon's CFO and collaborate with
Lance, the Board and Beacon's experienced team to support the
Company's mission to fight blinding diseases," shared Mr.
Biancardi. "Beacon has a strong operational foundation and the
partnership of a global investor syndicate; I am looking forward to
supporting the Company's growth and development through market
entry."
"We are fortunate to bring in two experienced executives who
share our passion to develop treatments for sight-threatening
diseases. The addition of Lance and Tom will accelerate Beacon's
growth as a leading ocular gene therapy company focused on bringing
transformative gene therapies to patients," said Mr. Fellows.
Beacon has raised approximately $290
million in funding to date. In July, Beacon announced a
$170 million Series B
fundraise following several clinical milestones, including the
first patient dosed in the VISTA registrational trial for
AGTC-501, the initiation of the Phase II DAWN trial and the
presentation of positive 12-month interim results of the Phase
2 SKYLINE trial at the 47th Annual Macula Society Meeting
demonstrating the precision, effectiveness and safety of Beacon's
lead development candidate, AGTC-501.
About Beacon Therapeutics
Beacon Therapeutics is an ophthalmic gene therapy company
founded in 2023 to save and restore the vision of patients with a
range of prevalent and rare retinal diseases that result in
blindness.
The Company has an established scientific foundation that
combines a late-stage development candidate to treat X-linked
retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP), as well as two preclinical programs,
one targeting dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and
another targeting an inherited cone-rod dystrophy (CRD).
Lead development candidate AGTC-501, is a gene therapy program
currently being investigated for the treatment of XLRP, an
inherited monogenic recessive disorder that causes progressive
vision loss in boys and young men. XLRP is predominantly caused by
mutations in the retinitis pigmentosa GTPase regulator (RPGR) gene.
AGTC-501 expresses the full length RPGR protein, thereby addressing
the full complement of photoreceptor damage caused by XLRP,
including both rod and cone loss.
Beacon Therapeutics also has access to a target generation
technology platform that will identify, screen, and search secreted
proteins in the ophthalmology space.
The Company is supported by funds from Syncona Limited, Forbion,
Oxford Science Enterprises, TCGX, Advent Life Sciences, and
additional investors.
Find out more about Beacon Therapeutics at beacontx.com.
Contact:
info@beacontx.com
Media:
beacontherapeutics@edelman.com
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SOURCE Beacon Therapeutics