SEATTLE, Aug. 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Atossa Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATOS) a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company seeking to develop innovative medicines in areas of significant unmet medical need in oncology and infectious diseases with a current focus on breast cancer and COVID-19, today announces the appointment of Dr. Paul Wabnitz to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). The Company has also re-appointed Drs. Mak Jawadekar, Per Hall, and Carl Novina to the SAB.
“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Wabnitz to our SAB, as he has been instrumental in our activities to reposition our inhalation therapy, AT-H201, to potentially treat lung injury caused by cancer treatment,” stated Steven Quay, M.D., Ph.D., Atossa’s CEO, Chairman and President. “Further, we are pleased to welcome back Drs. Jawadekar, Hall and Novina, each of whom has played a valuable role in Atossa’s product development. We continue to rely on their counsel as we advance our programs through the clinic.”
Dr. Wabnitz has extensive experience in clinical development with a unique combination of clinical medicine, pharmacology, toxicology, and industry drug development experience. He has acted as an investigator and Medical Monitor on over 50 first in human Phase I/II clinical trials over the last two years, including several Phase I/II first in human oncology studies, as well as previously being the Executive Medical Director of a leading Australian Phase I clinical unit. His scientific background includes a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry, a Post Doc at Parke-Davis (Ann Arbor, MI), 6.5 years of drug development industry experience (Pfizer/Esperion), an M.B.A. from the Stephen Ross School of Business (University of Ann Arbor, MI), and a Drug Development certificate in Regulatory Affairs from Temple University (Philadelphia, PA). His clinical background includes a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), and he is a qualified Specialist Physician and Clinical Pharmacologist (Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physician, Australia).
Dr. Hall is a professor of epidemiology and widely regarded as a leading researcher in the field of breast cancer prevention, early detection and risk modelling. He was previously Head of the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Karolinska Institutet. Dr. Hall is leading the unique KARMA (Karolinska Mammography Project for Risk Prediction of Breast Cancer) Cohort (www.karmastudy.org), including over 70,000 women, which is regarded as the best characterized breast cancer cohort in the world and serves as a resource for studies about breast cancer risk assessment and prevention. He also headed several breast cancer prevention trials where mammographic breast density change is used as a proxy for therapy response. Dr. Hall is the Principal Investigator on Atossa’s ongoing Phase 2 study of Endoxifen in women with breast density.
Dr. Novina is a thought leader in the biology of non-coding RNAs and their dysregulation in cancers. His lab has also built biomedical tools, which are being developed for cancer immunotherapy. He is currently an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School and an Associate Member of the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT.
Dr. Mak Jawadekar is currently an independent Pharma Professional. He worked at Pfizer, Inc. based in Groton-New London Connecticut for 28 consecutive years mostly in the R & D Division. In 2010, he served as a Director, Portfolio Management at Pfizer Inc. During his career at Pfizer, he was responsible for Drug Delivery Technology Assessment function involving external ‘Drug Delivery’ technologies. He has extensive experience in creating and cultivating external partnerships and alliances for Drug Delivery Technologies. While working on "Pfizer's EXUBERA" (Inhaled Insulin) development, he closely collaborated with Inhale Therapeutics Inc. which is now known as EKTAR Therapeutics. He also worked with Boehringer-Ingelheim- Pfizer collaboration on SPIRIVA, an inhalation formulation/device combo therapy development for COPD. He began his professional career at Pfizer Central Research in early 1982, after having completed his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics, under Prof. Ed Rippie at the University of Minnesota.
About Atossa Therapeutics
Atossa Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company seeking to develop innovative medicines in areas of significant unmet medical need in oncology and infectious diseases with a current focus on breast cancer and COVID-19.
For more information, please visit www.atossatherapeutics.com
Forward-Looking Statements
Forward-looking statements in this press release, which Atossa undertakes no obligation to update, are subject to risk and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated or estimated future results, including, without limitation, statements regarding the satisfaction of closing conditions relating to the offering and anticipated use of proceeds from the offering, the risks and uncertainties associated with any variation between interim and final clinical results, actions and inactions by the FDA, the outcome or timing of regulatory approvals needed by Atossa including those needed to commence and continue studies of AT-H201, AT-301 and Endoxifen, lower than anticipated rate of patient enrollment, estimated market size of drugs under development, the safety and efficacy of Atossa’s products, performance of clinical research organizations and investigators, obstacles resulting from proprietary rights held by others such as patent rights, whether reduction in Ki-67 or any other result from neoadjuvant study or reduction of breast density will be approvable endpoints for oral Endoxifen, and other risks detailed from time to time in Atossa’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including without limitation its periodic reports on Form 10-K and 10-Q, each as amended and supplemented from time to time.
Company Contact:
Atossa Therapeutics, Inc.
Kyle Guse, General Counsel and Chief Financial Officer
kyle.guse@atossainc.com
