CHAPEL HILL, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Areteia Therapeutics, Inc. (“Areteia”) today announced the appointment of Elyse Stock, M.D. to the Areteia Board of Directors, effective April 17, 2023. Dr. Stock will serve as a member of the compensation, nominating and corporate governance committee of the board.
“I am excited that Elyse has been appointed to our board,” said Jorge Bartolome, Chief Executive Officer of Areteia. “She is an incredibly accomplished executive whose depth of experience, proven leadership and scientific expertise will be invaluable to the leadership team and the Board of Directors as we focus on delivering on the Company’s strategy and further advancing the Phase III program for dexpramipexole, the first potential oral drug for eosinophilic asthma.”
Commenting on her appointment, Dr. Stock said, “I am honored to serve as a director and look forward to working with Jorge and the team. This is a compelling opportunity to address a high unmet need for severe asthmatics by potentially bringing the first oral medicine to market to treat eosinophilic asthma earlier in the treatment paradigm and offer patients and health systems an alternative to injectable biologics.”
Dr. Stock brings to her role a distinguished 36-year track record of clinical and drug development experience. After practicing psychiatry for 11 years she joined the pharmaceutical industry. Dr. Stock spent the last six years at Biohaven Pharmaceuticals where she was the CMO responsible for the development of numerous investigational agents including NURTEC® and was integral in transitioning that franchise to Pfizer after its acquisition. Prior to Biohaven, she spent 19 years at Bristol-Myers Squibb developing numerous experimental agents across multiple therapeutic areas including neuroscience, oncology, immunology and cardiovascular. She has led numerous large and complex programs across all aspects of development including those leading to the marketing of products such as ABILIFY®, ORENCIA®, and EMPLICITI®. She is an experienced developer of both biologic and non-biologic compounds.
Dr. Stock completed her residency at Payne Whitney Clinic, Cornell Medical Center and her fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Children’s Hospital National Medical Center in Washington D.C. She earned her medical degree at New York University School of Medicine.
About Areteia Therapeutics
Areteia Therapeutics, Inc. (areteiatx.com) is a clinical stage biotechnology company committed to putting asthma patients in better control of their disease and lives by developing the first potential oral drug for eosinophilic asthma. Areteia’s lead drug candidate is dexpramipexole, a first-in-class oral eosinophil maturation inhibitor.
Areteia was created by Population Health Partners and Knopp Biosciences. A syndicate of leading life sciences and strategic investors led by Bain Capital Life Sciences with participation from Access Biotechnology, GV, ARCH Venture Partners, Saturn Partners, Sanofi, Maverick Capital, and Population Health Partners, has committed to invest up to $350 million in Series A financing to establish Areteia and advance dexpramipexole through Phase III clinical trials, secure commercial supply, and pursue potential next-generation medicines.
Areteia has initiated late-stage development of dexpramipexole in eosinophilic asthma, including three Phase III clinical trials in partnership with Population Health Partners’ development unit, Validae Health.
About Dexpramipexole
Dexpramipexole is an oral small molecule in Phase III development for eosinophilic asthma. Dexpramipexole inhibits the maturation and release of eosinophils in bone marrow, based on evidence from cell cultures and human biopsies, thereby lowering peripheral blood eosinophil levels. Most recently in a Phase II study in patients with moderate-to-severe eosinophilic asthma, treatment with dexpramipexole resulted in a significant, dose-dependent reduction in blood absolute eosinophil count at all doses tested (daily dexpramipexole doses of 37.5 mg, 75 mg, or 150 mg twice daily) compared to placebo. Dexpramipexole was well tolerated in the trial, with adverse events balanced across treatment and placebo groups, no serious adverse events, and no adverse events leading to discontinuation.
About Eosinophilic Asthma
Asthma disrupts the lives of more than a quarter of a billion people worldwide. More than half of asthma patients have eosinophilic asthma, which is driven by an oversupply of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell, in blood and tissue. By inhibiting the maturation of eosinophils, oral dexpramipexole acts in a way similar to injectable anti-IL-5 biologic therapies. The asthma biologic market is experiencing growth of 10% per year and is valued at around $8 billion, with IL-5 biologic therapies representing approximately $3 billion of that figure. If approved as a first-to-market oral, dexpramipexole could provide a compelling alternative to injectable biologics, and could potentially be used earlier in the asthma treatment paradigm to prevent progression of disease.
