NeuBase Therapeutics Announces Addition of Industry Pioneer Dr. Samuel Broder and World-Renowned Geneticist Dr. George Church to Scientific Advisory Board
Experts from Harvard and National Cancer Institute to aid in development of novel antisense oligonucleotide therapies for genome-wide transcriptional regulation
PITTSBURGH, July 30, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NeuBase Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: NBSE) (“NeuBase” or the “Company”), a biotechnology company developing next-generation antisense therapies to address genetic diseases, today announced the addition of Samuel Broder, M.D, Ph.D. and George Church, Ph.D. to its scientific advisory board (SAB), bringing additional expertise in genetics, genomics, and oncology to a team already recognized for leadership in neurology, genomics and therapeutic development. The SAB will work closely with the NeuBase management team as the Company advances its next-generation gene regulating therapies through development, first in genetic diseases such as the repeat expansion disorders Huntington’s disease and myotonic dystrophy, as well as oncology, and then more broadly.
“We are privileged to have such illustrious colleagues join us as founding members of our scientific advisory board,” said Dietrich Stephan, Ph.D., chief executive officer of NeuBase. “Drs. Broder and Church are each renowned and respected experts in their fields and recognize the immense potential of the PATrOL™ platform to transform millions of lives and fulfill the promise of the Human Genome Project. We are looking forward to utilizing their expertise as we advance the first PATrOL™-enabled therapies for patients suffering from Huntington’s disease and myotonic dystrophy, as well as ultimately helping those suffering from other diseases such as cancer.”
Dr. Danith Ly, chief scientific officer of NeuBase, added, “I am thrilled to welcome Drs. Broder and Church to our SAB. We believe that antisense approaches are the answer to treating a range of genetic diseases, and NeuBase’s PATrOL™ platform represents the future of antisense therapies. I am confident that the expertise Dr. Broder and Dr. Church bring to the table will perfectly complement our team, which is recognized for its leadership in neurology, genomics and therapeutic development, and will help NeuBase bring our PATrOL™-enabled therapies to patients who so desperately need them.”
Dr. Broder is the former Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). He was appointed to the position by President Ronald Reagan in 1989 and served through 1995. While at the NCI, he oversaw the development of numerous anti-cancer therapeutic agents, helped launch a number of large-scale clinical trials related to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer and inaugurated the highly successful Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) program. His laboratory played a major role in developing the first three agents approved by FDA specifically to treat AIDS: Retrovir® (AZT), Videx® (ddI) and HIVID® (ddC) and laid the foundation for many other therapies. As the executive vice president for medical affairs and chief medical officer at Celera Corporation, he helped advance Celera’s Human Genome Project, culminating in generating the blueprint of the human genome which has enabled many of the advances in the current life sciences industry. Most recently, he served as senior vice president and health sector head at Intrexon Corporation with a focus on novel gene therapies. He was elected to the National Academy of Medicine of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in 1993.
Dr. Church is a pioneer of genome engineering, DNA sequencing and synthetic biology. He brings significant expertise both in genetics and the biotechnology industry to the NeuBase SAB. He has cofounded 24 biotechnology companies, authored over 500 papers and 140 patent publications. Dr. Church is professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School, and professor of health sciences and technology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Medical School. He is the director of the Center for Genomically Engineered Organs (CGEO), the Harvard DOE Technology Center, the Lipper Center for Computational Genetics and is a founding core member of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering. Dr. Church is a member of the National Academy of Sciences (2011) and the National Academy of Engineering (2012) and has received the Franklin Institute’s Bower Award for Achievement in Science (2011). He holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology from Harvard University.
About NeuBase Therapeutics, Inc.
NeuBase Therapeutics, Inc. is developing the next generation of gene silencing therapies with its flexible, highly specific synthetic antisense oligonucleotides. The proprietary NeuBase peptide-nucleic acid (PNA) antisense oligonucleotide (PATrOL™) platform allows for the rapid development of targeted drugs, increasing the treatment opportunities for the hundreds of millions of people affected by rare genetic diseases, including those that can only be treated through accessing of secondary RNA structures. Using PATrOL™ technology, NeuBase aims to first tackle rare, genetic neurological disorders.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding the Company’s goals and plans. These forward-looking statements are distinguished by use of words such as "will," "would," "anticipate," "expect," "believe," "designed," "plan," or "intend," the negative of these terms, and similar references to future periods. These views involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and, accordingly, our actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in our forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements contained herein speak only as of the date of this press release. Factors or events that we cannot predict, including those described in the risk factors contained in the Company’s registration statement on Form S-4, as amended, that contains a joint proxy statement/prospectus, may cause our actual results to differ from those expressed in forward-looking statements. The Company may not actually achieve the plans, carry out the intentions or meet the expectations or projections disclosed in the forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Because such statements deal with future events and are based on the Company’s current expectations, they are subject to various risks and uncertainties and actual results, performance or achievements of the Company could differ materially from those described in or implied by the statements in this press release, including: the Company’s plans to develop and commercialize its product candidates; the timing of initiation of the Company’s planned clinical trials; the timing of the availability of data from the Company’s clinical trials; the timing of any planned investigational new drug application or new drug application; the Company’s plans to research, develop and commercialize its current and future product candidates; the clinical utility, potential benefits and market acceptance of the Company’s product candidates; the Company’s commercialization, marketing and manufacturing capabilities and strategy; the Company’s ability to protect its intellectual property position; and the requirement for additional capital to continue to advance these product candidates, which may not be available on favorable terms or at all, as well as those risks discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in Ohr’s registration statement on Form S-4, as amended, that contains a joint proxy statement/prospectus. Except as otherwise required by law, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.
NeuBase Investor Contact:
Dan Ferry
Managing Director
LifeSci Advisors, LLC
Daniel@lifesciadvisors.com
OP: (617) 535-7746
NeuBase Media Contact:
Cait Williamson, Ph.D.
LifeSci Public Relations
cait@lifescipublicrelations.com
OP: (646) 751-4366
Released July 30, 2019