PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Scout Bio, a biotechnology company focused on revolutionizing pet medicine by delivering a pipeline of one-time therapeutics for major chronic pet health conditions, today announced the appointment of Anne Traas, DVM, as Chief Development Officer. Dr. Traas brings to Scout Bio nearly 20 years of experience as a clinical research leader and veterinarian, including over a decade at Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) Animal Health.
“After a career focused on advancing new animal therapeutics, it is thrilling to join a team delivering an entirely new paradigm to veterinary medicine that could transform the care of conditions with pressing unmet medical need,” said Dr. Traas. “Scout’s gene therapy approach of AAV-mediated gene transfer is designed to deliver a simply administered, single dose treatment for conditions where long-lasting expression of a therapeutic protein can alter the course of the disease. This is an exciting concept that builds on decades of basic and clinical research now validated by the emergence of FDA-approved products for humans. I look forward to pioneering this approach in veterinary medicine as part of the Scout team.”
Dr. Traas most recently served as Head of Saint Joseph Pharma Clinical R&D at Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) Animal Health, the U.S.-based animal health subsidiary of BI. In that role, she led a team of scientists and clinical operations specialists responsible for target animal safety and efficacy studies for the development of new therapeutics. In prior roles at BI, Dr. Traas served as Associate Director of U.S. Biological Clinical Development and Associate Director of Pharmaceutical Clinical Development, driving clinical development of novel veterinary pharmaceuticals while guiding study design, implementation and regulatory compliance.
“Anne is a proven research leader with deep experience in clinical program execution and regulatory engagement,” said Mark Heffernan, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Scout Bio. “With Scout’s advancing pipeline of novel biotherapeutic approaches in development for major chronic pet health conditions, we are thrilled to welcome Anne’s specialist expertise to the oversight of our portfolio.”
Earlier in her career, Dr. Traas was involved in gene therapy research as a resident in medical genetics and a clinical trials veterinarian at the University of Pennsylvania, with a focus on translational medicine. She began her career as a practicing veterinarian in general companion animal care. Dr. Traas earned her Master of Science in translational research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and her DVM and Bachelor of Science from the University of Minnesota.
About Scout Bio
Scout Bio is a biotechnology company focused on revolutionizing pet medicine by delivering a pipeline of one-time therapeutics for major chronic pet health conditions. Scout has an exclusive research and development collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania’s Gene Therapy Program, which has been a global leader in gene therapy research and development for nearly three decades. Scout’s therapeutics are designed to induce long-term expression of therapeutic proteins in pet patients using AAV vector technology. Scout Bio is a private company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For more information, please visit www.scoutbio.co.
