CAMBRIDGE, Mass. & HAIFA, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Minovia Therapeutics, a clinical-stage company focused on the development of cell-based Mitochondrial Augmentation Therapy (MAT) to treat mitochondrial diseases, announced today the appointment of a key member of Management for the Company’s next phase of growth. In anticipation of feedback from the FDA on its clinical trial design for a Phase 3 study in Pearson Syndrome, the Company has added expertise in cell therapy and rare disease clinical development, medical, and regulatory with the hire of Dr. Alan Jacobs as Minovia’s Chief Medical Officer.
Dr. Jacobs brings over 20 years’ experience in leading healthcare and biotechnology companies including Aspire Health Science, Hemostemix and PerceptiMed. Dr. Jacobs will lead Minovia’s clinical operations and regulatory affairs, including acceleration of the development plans for Pearson Syndrome and other primary and secondary mitochondrial diseases.
Natalie Yivgi-Ohana, CEO and Co-founder at Minovia Therapeutics, said, “Mitochondrial diseases are often fatal with no approved therapies in the United States, something we are working tirelessly to change. Twelve patients have been dosed so far in Israel with our Mitochondrial Augmentation Therapy (MAT) through compassionate use programs, as well as part of a Phase I/II trial under IND, and we have our sights on potential FDA approval in an ultra-rare indication over the next several years. We are honored and excited to have Dr. Jacobs as CMO, which will enable us to draw on his considerable scientific and business expertise in bringing successful cell therapy treatments to patients with these rare diseases.”
Dr. Jacobs, Chief Medical Officer at Minovia Therapeutics, added: “I’ve been incredibly impressed with Minovia’s mitochondrial cell therapy approach that could have a life-changing impact on patients living with mitochondrial diseases.”
The appointment of Dr. Jacobs as CMO follows on from Minovia’s recent partnership with specialized cell therapy equipment manufacturer, BioSpherix and appointment of David O’Donnell as Global Head of Manufacturing and Supply Chain.
About Minovia Therapeutics
Minovia Therapeutics is a clinical stage company and the first to use a cell therapy approach to treat patients affected with mitochondrial diseases using the Mitochondrial Augmentation Therapy (MAT) platform. MAT is being developed as a robust and scalable therapeutic platform targeting the root cause of diseases caused by mitochondrial dysfunction. In MAT, patients’ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells are enriched with healthy mitochondria isolated from an allogeneic or syngeneic source. Minovia’s initial clinical focus is on rare primary mitochondrial diseases for which there are no approved treatments in the United States and the unmet medical need is immense. Minovia is now conducting an IND enabled phase I/II clinical trial in Pearson Syndrome, a fatal pediatric disease. Harnessing the power of mitochondria, Minovia is committed to exploring the full potential of its proprietary platform to address mitochondrial diseases ranging from orphan indications to more common diseases.
For more information, please visit http://minoviatx.com/.
