PARIS, Sept. 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EG 427, a biotechnology company leading the development of pinpoint gene therapy solutions by using a unique HSV-1 vector platform, today announced the appointment of Grzegorz Sarek, Ph.D., as Vice President of Research. Throughout his career, Dr. Sarek has amassed a wealth of experience in the fields of virology, gene therapy, translational biomedicine and cancer biology. He will be in charge of managing the company’s R&D activities as it sets up the only European platform for gene therapy exploiting the natural homing and latency properties of HSV-1.
“We are excited to welcome Grzegorz Sarek into the EG 427 team to lead our laboratory and R&D activities,” said Alberto Epstein, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at EG 427. “A great addition to our team, Grzegorz is an accomplished virologist as evidenced by his impressive publication track record. He has an extensive knowledge of Herpes family viruses and a considerable experience in viral gene transfer methods using AAV-based vectors, which, together with his managing skills, are tremendous assets for EG 427 to continue developing pinpoint gene therapy.”
"I see great potential in HSV-1-based gene therapy vectors as they present clear advantages with respect to other viral vectors, both in terms of safety and of gene delivery,” explained Grzegorz Sarek, Ph.D., now Vice President of Research at EG 427. “I am therefore very enthusiastic about joining EG 427 to contribute to the development of what I see as a rigorously devised and promising HSV-1 technology vector platform, and to have the opportunity to work with a remarkable management team and founders driven by the will to solve majors medical needs.”
Prior to joining EG 427, Dr. Sarek was director of Gene Therapy and Translational Research at DiNAQOR AG in Zurich, a company that develops gene therapy solutions for inherited forms of heart disease. He was previously Principal Scientist at F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland in the field of single-stranded oligonucleotide therapeutics, and was Group Leader in Molecular Virology at Imperial College London, UK.
Dr. Sarek earned his Ph.D. in Oncology and Cancer Biology from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Helsinki, Finland, and performed his post-doctoral training in the field of the DNA Damage Response at The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
Contacts:
Company
Philippe Chambon, M.D., Ph.D.
EG 427
Founder and CEO
415-533-9359
philippe@eg427.com
Media
US
Harrison Wong / Robert Flamm, Ph.D.
Burns McClellan, Inc.
212-213-0006 ext. 316 / 364
hwong@burnsmc.com / rflamm@burnsmc.com
EU
Marie Puvieux / Ana-Maria Leon Ortiz, Ph.D.
ATCG Partners
33 (0)9 52 78 85 08
eg427@atcg-partners.com
About EG 427
EG 427 is a French biotechnology company that pioneers a new approach in gene therapy called pinpoint gene therapy.
By exploiting the natural properties of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1), notably its ability to establish lifelong latency in peripheral neurons, EG 427 ensures highly specific and durable expression of the transgene to treat, in the long run, patients with severe, chronic and localized diseases, starting with peripheral nervous system disorders.
18 months after its inception, EG 427 has already built its proprietary HSV-1 vector platform and achieved the preclinical proof of its concept in the most common type of neurogenic bladder (urinary bladder dysfunction due to supra-sacral spinal cord injury). Today, the company is evaluating the potential of pinpoint gene therapy in other indications that involve different compartments of the peripheral nervous system. The company expects to start its first clinical trials by 2023.
Based in Paris, EG 427 was founded by a world-renowned team in the field of HSV-1 vectorology and spinal cord injury-related disorders.
For additional information, please visit: https://www.eg427.com/
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/82f8a650-367b-4274-95e1-c4b0e914dc70
