Atsena Therapeutics Appoints Joseph S. Zakrzewski as Board Chair
July 15 2024 - 7:30AM
Atsena Therapeutics, a clinical-stage gene therapy company focused
on bringing the life-changing power of genetic medicine to reverse
or prevent blindness, today announced the appointment of Joseph
(“Joe”) S. Zakrzewski as Chair of its Board of Directors, effective
immediately.
“We are thrilled Joe has joined our Board of Directors. As the
Chair of our Board, his vast leadership experience and business
acumen in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries will be
an asset to Atsena,” said Patrick Ritschel, Chief Executive Officer
of Atsena Therapeutics. “We look forward to his insights as we
continue to advance our potential best-in-class treatments for
inherited retinal diseases in the clinic.”
Throughout his distinguished 30-year career, Mr. Zakrzewski has
founded several biotechnology companies and has held leadership
positions including Chairman and CEO of Amarin Pharmaceuticals,
Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer of Xcellerex and
Chief Operating Officer of Reliant Pharmaceuticals. Prior, Mr.
Zakrzewski served in a variety of executive-level positions at Eli
Lilly & Company for 17 years including R&D, manufacturing,
finance and business development. He has served as a member of the
board of directors of over 25 publicly and privately held
companies, with many successful exits for shareholders. Mr.
Zakrzewski holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and a M.S. in
Biochemical Engineering from Drexel University, and an M.B.A. in
Finance from Indiana University.
“I am honored to join Atsena’s Board and work with its
experienced leadership team. The company’s commitment to developing
innovative gene therapies aligns with my passion for advancing
treatments that can significantly improve patients’ lives. With
ongoing Phase I/II clinical trials and pioneering adeno-associated
virus (AAV) technology, Atsena is driving remarkable progress in
the field of ocular gene therapy,” said Mr. Zakrzewski. “I look
forward to helping Atsena advance its mission to bring the
transformative possibilities of genetic medicine to patients in
need.”
About Atsena TherapeuticsAtsena Therapeutics is
a clinical-stage gene therapy company developing best-in-class
treatments for the reversal or prevention of blindness from
inherited retinal diseases. The company’s lead program is
evaluating ATSN-201 in an ongoing Phase I/II clinical trial for
X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS), a progressive genetic condition
affecting boys and men that is typically diagnosed in childhood.
Another ongoing Phase I/II clinical trial is evaluating ATSN-101
for Leber congenital amaurosis type 1 (LCA1), one of the most
common causes of blindness in children. Atsena’s pipeline is
powered by novel adeno-associated virus (AAV) technology tailored
to overcome the hurdles presented by inherited retinal diseases.
Founded by pioneers in ocular gene therapy, Atsena is led by an
experienced team dedicated to addressing the needs of patients with
vision loss. For more information, please visit
https://atsenatx.com/.
Media Contact:Tony Plohoros6 Degrees(908)
591-2839tplohoros@6degreespr.com
Business Contact:info@atsenatx.com