Dr. Stavenhagen brings over 20 years of experience in leading drug discovery initiatives, with a focus on monoclonal antibodies targeting neuro diseases
Jennifer Davis Ruff also named Vice President, Head of Investor Relations & Corporate Affairs with over 20 years of experience at leading public biopharmaceutical companies
NEW YORK and WALTHAM, Mass., Nov. 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dianthus Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNTH), a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to advancing the next generation of antibody complement therapeutics to treat severe autoimmune diseases, today announced the appointment of Jeffrey Stavenhagen, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer. In this role, Dr. Stavenhagen will lead the Company’s discovery and preclinical research and translational science initiatives.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Jeff to the Dianthus team as we advance next-generation antibody therapeutics for patients living with severe autoimmune diseases. Dianthus has made tremendous progress with DNTH103, its active C1s inhibitor, and is on track to initiate three Phase 2 clinical trials in 2024 for generalized Myasthenia Gravis, Multifocal Motor Neuropathy, and Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy,” said Marino Garcia, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dianthus Therapeutics. “Jeff has a proven track record as a leader in early-stage antibody and neuro drug development and has successfully advanced a number of new therapeutics into the clinic. His experience will be invaluable as we strategically expand our discovery initiatives to build a sustainable pipeline.”
Dr. Stavenhagen is a recognized expert in early-stage drug development, with more than 20 years of experience building and leading research teams to advance new therapeutic candidates into clinical development. He was most recently Chief Scientific Officer at Therini Bio, where he directed R&D initiatives leading to the development of a first-in-class monoclonal antibody for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. He previously served in leadership roles at Therachon, leading preclinical research and CMC, and Lundbeck, advancing its first internal antibody programs into clinical development for neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Stavenhagen began his biotech career as the first employee of MacroGenics, where he built a novel antibody engineering platform that resulted in Margenza®, one of the first Fc optimized monoclonal antibodies on the market. Throughout his career, he has authored over 40 scientific patents and publications. Dr. Stavenhagen received his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Columbia University and performed post-doctoral studies at the Fred Hutchinson Research Center in Seattle.
“It’s an exciting time to join Dianthus as the Company prepares to initiate three Phase 2 trials in 2024 for its potential best-in-class active C1s inhibitor, DNTH103,” said Dr. Stavenhagen. “I’ve been very impressed by Dianthus’ leadership and scientific teams, and I look forward to working with them to continue developing the Company’s drug discovery and translational research programs as we deliver on our mission of improving the lives of people with severe autoimmune diseases.”
In addition, Dianthus announced that Jennifer Davis Ruff has joined the Company as Vice President and Head of Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs. She has more than 20 years of experience in investor relations and corporate communications in the biopharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Ms. Ruff most recently served as Vice President, Investor Relations at Pyxis Oncology, where she led communications with investors and analysts. Previously, she held the roles of Vice President, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations at TESARO, Director, Investor Relations at Pfizer, and Director, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications at MGI Pharma. She earned a master’s degree in biotechnology from Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Iowa.
About Dianthus Therapeutics
Dianthus Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to designing and delivering novel, best-in-class monoclonal antibodies with improved selectivity and potency. Based in New York City and Waltham, Mass., Dianthus is comprised of an experienced team of biotech and pharma executives who are leading the development of next-generation antibody complement therapeutics, aiming to deliver transformative medicines for people living with severe autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. To learn more, please visit www.dianthustx.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release, other than purely historical information, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, express or implied statements regarding future plans and prospects, including statements regarding the expectations or plans for discovery, preclinical studies, clinical trials and research and development programs, in particular with respect to DNTH103, and any developments or results in connection therewith, including the target product profile of DNTH103; the anticipated timing of the initiation and results from those studies and trials; expectations regarding the time period over which the Company’s capital resources are expected to be sufficient to fund its anticipated operations; and expectations regarding the market and potential opportunities for complement therapies, in particular with respect to DNTH103. The words “opportunity,” “potential,” “milestones,” “runway,” “will,” “anticipate,” “achieve,” “near-term,” “catalysts,” “pursue,” “pipeline,” “believe,” continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “ intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “predict,” “project,” “ should,” “strive,” “would,” “aim,” “target,” “commit,” and similar expressions (including the negatives of these terms or variations of them) generally identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that statement is not forward looking.
Actual results could differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements due to various factors, risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, that preclinical testing of DNTH103 and data from clinical trials may not be predictive of the results or success of ongoing or later clinical trials, that the development of DNTH103 or the Company's other compounds may take longer and/or cost more than planned, that the Company may be unable to successfully complete the clinical development of the Company’s compounds, that the Company may be delayed in initiating, enrolling or completing its planned clinical trials, and that the Company's compounds may not receive regulatory approval or become commercially successful products. These and other risks and uncertainties are identified under the heading "Risk Factors" included in Exhibit 99.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on September 12, 2023 (as amended on September 21, 2023), and other filings that the Company has made and may make with the SEC in the future. Nothing in this press release should be regarded as a representation by any person that the forward-looking statements set forth herein will be achieved or that any of the contemplated results of such forward-looking statements will be achieved.
The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date they are made and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the cautionary statements herein. Dianthus undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Contact
Jennifer Davis Ruff
Dianthus Therapeutics
jdavisruff@dianthustx.com
