Life-science leader with 30 years of experience to guide SENISCA towards becoming a clinical stage novel senotherapeutics company
Exeter, UK — 10 September 2024: SENISCA SENISCA, a biotechnology company developing RNA based therapeutics to target cellular senescence and treat age-related disease, today announces the appointment of Tim Edwards as Chair of the Board. He succeeds Dr. David Chiswell, Ph.D., OBE, Chairman of the SENISCA Board since 2023, who recently passed away following a short illness.
Tim Edwards has over 30 years of leadership experience in the life-sciences sector, during which he has played a major role in the development of several private and public biotechnology companies.
Tim is currently Chair of Schroders Capital Global Innovation Trust plc (LSE:INOV), providing access to the leading growth businesses of the future, wherever they are in the world. He also serves as Chair of Storm Therapeutics Ltd, EndLyz Therapeutics Inc. and AstronauTx Ltd.
He joins the Board of SENISCA having led two companies to exit by trade sale, as Chair of Atopix Therapeutics Limited acquired by Chiesi Farmaceutici S.P.A. in 2016 and President and Chief Executive Officer of Cellzome Inc. acquired by GlaxoSmithKline plc in 2012.
Tim has also been a past Chair of the UK BioIndustry Association and has served as a Governing Board member of InnovateUK, the UK's Innovation agency, Non-Executive Director of the Cell & Gene Therapy Catapult, and a member of the Department of Health Ministerial Industry Strategy Group (Life Sciences).
Dr. Sarah Cole, CEO of SENISCA, commented: “We are honoured to welcome Tim to lead the Board at SENISCA. His extensive knowledge of the sector and deep experience in guiding growth companies to their next stage of development will be invaluable to SENISCA as we continue our journey towards becoming a clinical stage novel senotherapeutics company.
“We also pay tribute to our friend and colleague David Chiswell, who will be remembered for his enormous contributions to the UK life-sciences. Our thoughts are with his family at this time.”
Tim Edwards, Chairman of the Board of SENISCA commented: “I am very pleased to join SENISCA at an important stage in the development of this exciting company. The rapidly emerging field of senotherapeutics has enormous potential to transform the treatment of age-related conditions. As Chair I look forward to working with SENISCA’s Board and Leadership Team as we continue to make progress and begin to realise this potential.”
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For more information
Sarah Cole
Chief Executive Officer, SENISCA
info@senisca.com
For media
ICR Consilium
Chris Welsh, Evi Useh
chris.welsh@icrhealthcare.com
About SENISCA
SENISCA is an award-winning, RNA therapeutics spinout from the University of Exeter. The Company is focused on modulating RNA biology to treat conditions of ageing. Underpinned by more than 15 years of world-leading research, SENISCA has identified an officially recognized, novel and druggable component of the cellular ageing (senescence) response, which can be specifically targeted in the context of multiple pharmacological and skin health indications.
The Company is developing a portfolio of proprietary therapeutics, that target cell senescence (senotherapeutics) for the treatment of age-related disease. SENISCA’s senotherapeutics specifically target the novel cellular pathway which leads to partial reprogramming of the senescent cells and positively impacts markers of disease modification in complex patient-derived models.
SENISCA’s platform technology has broad applicability for ageing conditions and the treatment of multiple age-related diseases including those of the eyes, lungs, joints, and brain. For many such diseases, current treatments are palliative rather than curative, with varying success rates. These diseases represent a high unmet medical need, are amenable to a local route of therapeutic administration and are driven by senescence. Targeting these specific diseases will streamline progress towards the clinic by avoiding potential pitfalls of systemic delivery.
SENISCA’s novel senotherapeutics will be mined and commercialized through partnership or co-development models that will sit alongside internal programmes. If you would like to learn more about SENISCA, please contact Jennie Jepperson, Executive Assistant at SENISCA (Jennie.Jepperson@senisca.com).
