BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Atalanta Therapeutics, a biotechnology company pioneering new treatment options for CNS diseases utilizing its proprietary branched siRNA platform, today announced the appointment of Alfred W. Sandrock, Jr., M.D., Ph.D. to the company’s Board of Directors. In this capacity, Dr. Sandrock will work closely with Atalanta’s leadership team to inform the company’s R&D strategy and support its ongoing corporate growth.
“Al is held in high esteem across the biopharma industry, not just as an accomplished scientist and drug developer, but as a visionary leader. His impact has been significant for patients with neurological diseases, where he has overseen the discovery and development of multiple groundbreaking therapies,” said Alicia Secor, president and chief executive officer of Atalanta. “Al’s expertise will be a deeply valuable addition to our Board of Directors as we continue to advance our branched siRNA technology and our growing wholly-owned pipeline, with the ultimate goal of revolutionizing treatment for those impacted by CNS and neurodegenerative diseases.”
“RNA interference is an exciting therapeutic approach, but its utility in neurological diseases has been limited by the difficulty in achieving the appropriate distribution in the central nervous system,” said Dr. Sandrock. “Atalanta’s novel branched siRNA platform has the potential to overcome the challenges in developing therapies for CNS disorders. I’m pleased to join the company’s Board of Directors to help realize the promise of this exciting platform.”
Dr. Sandrock spent 23 years at Biogen where he served in positions of increasing responsibility, culminating in his service as executive vice president, research and development, until December 2021. He also served an eight-year term as the company’s chief medical officer, from 2012 to 2020, and on the Biogen Executive Committee, from 2013 to 2021. Earlier in his career, Dr. Sandrock held several senior executive positions at Biogen, including group senior vice president of development sciences, senior vice president of neurology R&D, and vice president of clinical development, neurology. Over the course of his tenure, he led the discovery, development, and regulatory approval of numerous medicines including Aduhelm®, Plegridy®, Spinraza®, Tecfidera®, and Tysabri®. Dr. Sandrock holds a B.A. in human biology from Stanford University, an M.D. from Harvard Medical School, and a Ph.D. in neurobiology from Harvard University. He completed an internship in medicine, a residency and chief residency in neurology, and a clinical fellowship in Neuromuscular Disease and Clinical Neurophysiology (electromyography) at Massachusetts General Hospital.
About Atalanta Therapeutics
Atalanta Therapeutics is a biotechnology company pioneering new treatment options for neurodegenerative diseases by utilizing its proprietary RNA interference platform, branched siRNA, which for the first time enables RNA interference to be deployed as a therapeutic approach throughout the brain and spinal cord. Atalanta was founded in 2018 by Anastasia Khvorova, Ph.D., Craig Mello, Ph.D., and Neil Aronin, M.D., of the RNA Therapeutics Institute at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, with a Series A funding exclusively by F-Prime Capital and strategic collaborations with Biogen and Genentech. Atalanta is headquartered in Boston, Mass. For more information, visit www.atalantatx.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
