- Jonathan Violin, Ph.D., M.B.A. appointed President, CEO and director
Barrett Katz , M.D., M.B.A. joins Viridian as Chief Medical Officer- Viridian is developing VRDN-001 and VRDN-002 for the treatment of thyroid eye disease
- Company recently licensed exclusive rights from Xencor, Inc. to develop and commercialize therapeutic antibodies targeting IGF-1R incorporating Xtend™ Fc half-life extension technology
The Company also announced today the appointment of Jonathan Violin, Ph.D., M.B.A. as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and member of the Board of Directors. Dr. Violin, who previously served as Viridian’s President and Chief Operating Officer (COO), succeeds
In addition, Viridian appointed internationally recognized neuro-ophthalmologist,
“The leadership team changes and Viridian Therapeutics name reflect the continuing evolution of the company and our patient-centric model of innovation,” said Dr. Violin. “We’re leveraging proven biology and technology to efficiently allocate research and development resources, while addressing strategic gaps related to access, delivery, quality of life, and efficacy. We are thrilled to attract someone with Dr. Katz’s depth of expertise in serving patients and leading scientific and clinical programs.”
During his tenure at BridgeBio,
Prior to co-founding privately held Viridian Therapeutics, Dr. Violin had founded and served as CEO of two virtual drug discovery companies, Quellis Biosciences and Dianthus Therapeutics, and co-founded and held several executive positions at Trevena, Inc. He holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the
Viridian is developing multiple product candidates to treat patients who suffer from thyroid eye disease (TED), a debilitating orphan disease that can cause bulging eyes, or proptosis, as well as double vision and potential blindness. TED significantly impacts quality of life, imposing a high physical and mental burden on patients. There is currently one
“Patients with TED have limited treatment options,” said
Viridian’s most advanced product candidate is VRDN-001, an intravenously administered anti-IGF-1R monoclonal antibody which, the Company expects to proceed directly to a phase 2 trial, pending feedback from the FDA. In October, the Company obtained exclusive worldwide rights from ImmunoGen, Inc. to develop and commercialize VRDN-001 for all non-oncology indications that do not use radiopharmaceuticals, including the treatment of TED.
VRDN-002 is the Company’s second-generation product candidate, incorporating half-life extension technology, and is intended for subcutaneous administration. Viridian holds exclusive rights to develop and commercialize antibody therapeutics targeting IGF-1R using the XtendTM half-life extension technology developed and owned by Xencor, Inc.
In the second half of 2021, Viridian expects to file Investigational New Drug (IND) applications for both VRDN-001 and VRDN-002.
About Viridian Therapeutics
Viridian Therapeutics is a biotechnology company advancing new treatments for patients suffering from serious diseases but underserved by today’s therapies. Viridian’s most advanced program, VRDN-001, is a clinical-stage anti-IGF-1R monoclonal antibody in development for thyroid eye disease (TED). Viridian is headquartered in Boulder,
Forward Looking Statements
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