Aviceda Therapeutics Announces Key Opinion Leader in Ophthalmology Drug Development Tarek S. Hassan, MD to Join Management Team as Chief Development Officer

2022-07-25

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July 25, 2022 12:00 UTC Tarek Hassan, MD: Past President of American Society of Retina Specialists and Retina World Congress; Clinical researcher: global randomized clinical trials (>150), peer-reviewed (230); founder 6 medical device and/or medical education companies; holder of numerous issued patents and inventions CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Aviceda Therapeutics, Inc. a private biotechnology company located in Cambridge MA with a proprietary nano-technology HALOS platform (High-Affinity Ligands Of Siglecs), announced today the appointment of Tarek S. Hassan, MD, FASRS as Chief Development Officer and Senior Vice-President. He joins other leaders in the fields of retina and immunologic-based science and therapeutics, Drs. Mohamed Genead, David Callanan, Michael Tolentino, Derek Kunimoto, and Christopher Scott, as part of the executive management team. Aviceda Therapeutics is an innovative clinical stage biotechnology company focused on developing transformative glyco-therapeutic drugs that modulate dysregulated inflammation in a diverse range of diseases that affect large unserved and underserved populations. Aviceda’s short-term focus is the initiation of the clinical trial for its lead product, AVD-104, a Ph II ready ophthalmic lead product for geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to dry AMD (dAMD). Dr. Hassan is ideally suited to manage the development of AVD-104 and move the company forward to bring its breakthrough therapies to the clinic, address significant unmet medical needs, and ultimately transform lives. “Aviceda is honored to have one of the most renowned and successful leaders in retina and strategic drug development join the Aviceda team in this key position. We believe that we have assembled the top team in ophthalmology and beyond. With our lead product about to enter clinical trials for GA associated with dry AMD AMD, this is an ideal time for Tarek to join our management team. Given the broad potential of our HALOS technology pipeline, today’s announcement marks a major step forward in advancing Aviceda as leading company in the field of retina and beyond,” said Dr. Genead, co-founder and CEO of Aviceda Therapeutics. “I am honored to join the outstanding team of thought leaders in the fields of retina, glycobiology, and immune therapy at Aviceda,” said Dr. Tarek Hassan. “I am excited to complete the planning and oversee the execution of the Phase 2 trial for AVD-104 for GA associated with AMD. This critical indication affects a large patient population and has no current treatment. We have an outstanding opportunity to make major contributions towards finding a treatment for patients with this serious blinding disease, particularly through our innovative approach of developing immune modulators that act on the switches that turn pathologic mechanisms on and off. We see glyco-immune modulation as a powerful next generation mechanism for the treatment of many acute and chronic diseases of degeneration and inflammation, as well as diseases resulting from immune evasion.” About Tarek Hassan Tarek S. Hassan, MD is Professor of Ophthalmology at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Director of the Vitreoretinal Fellowship Training Program and Senior Partner at Associated Retinal Consultants in Royal Oak, Michigan. He is the current President of the Retina Hall of Fame, Immediate Past President of the Retina World Congress (RWC), Past President of the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS), and Past President of the Foundation of the ASRS. He has been on the Executive Board of Directors of the RWC for the past 6 years. He served on the Executive Committee of the ASRS and the Foundation of the ASRS for 12 years and on the Board of Directors of the ASRS for 22 years. He is a Founder and Director of the Retina Fellows Forum (22 years), Club Vit (24 years), and Retina Hall of Fame (6 years). Dr. Hassan has an active academic clinical practice in which he is extensively involved in a wide variety of clinical vitreoretinal research studies. He has been principal investigator or co-investigator in more than 150 randomized clinical trials, authored and co-authored more than 230 papers in peer-reviewed journals, and written 9 books and/or book chapters for medical texts. He is Senior Associate Editor of the Journal of Vitreoretinal Diseases, as well as an editorial board member and scientific reviewer for other leading journals within ophthalmology and retina. He has given over 760 national and international presentations on many retinal topics and been awarded the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Achievement Award, the ASRS Senior Honor Award, and the AAO Senior Achievement Award. He was elected as an inaugural member of the Retina Hall of Fame in 2017. He founded, or co-founded several medical device and educational companies, and been granted numerous government-issued device patents. Born in Houston, Texas, Dr. Hassan obtained his undergraduate, medical school, and residency training at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan and then completed a vitreoretinal diseases and surgery fellowship at Associated Retinal Consultants in Royal Oak. About Aviceda Therapeutics Inc. Aviceda is a private biotechnology company located in Cambridge MA with a proprietary nano-technology HALOS platform and an IND-ready ophthalmic lead product for (GA) secondary to dAMD. Aviceda’s lead product, AVD-104, is an intravitreal nanoparticle using HALOS technology with a dual mechanism of action (MOA) for GA/dAMD on critical complement and inflammatory pathways. AVD-104 demonstrated in-vitro/vivo efficacy for dAMD with inhibition of inflammatory pathways and complement Excellent safety demonstrated in multiple animal models including non-human primates Potential for ≥Q12W dosing regimen IND submission planned 4Q 2022 under Fast Track Designation Based on FDA guidance, a Ph II trial in GA/dAMD planned following IND submission in Q4 2022 Broad patents granted for composition of matter and methods of use through 2042