Neurona Therapeutics names Dr. Manher Joshi as chief medical officer

SAN FRANCISCO, June 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Neuron Therapya clinical-stage biotherapeutics company focused on advancing regenerative cell therapies for the treatment of nervous system disorders, today announced the appointment of Dr. Manher (AJ) Joshi as Chief Medical Officer.

“We are thrilled to welcome AJ and are confident that his extensive cell therapy expertise and leadership skills will complement the Neurona team and lead our company in its next phase of growth,” said Cory R. Nicholas, Ph.D., Neurona co-founder and CEO . “AJ’s decades of experience in clinical development and commercialization, across a variety of neurological indications, strengthens our capabilities as we advance our pipeline of cellular therapy candidates for neurological diseases, including NRTX-1001 for drug-resistant focal epilepsy.”

“I am delighted to be joining Neurona Therapeutics at such a critical time in the company’s history,” said Manher Joshi, M.D., chief medical officer of Neurona Therapeutics. “The data presented to date from the ongoing Phase 1/2 study in drug-resistant unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy indicate a potential disease-modifying profile for NRTX-1001. For many of these patients, the best option currently is tissue-destroying brain surgery. We look forward to working with the epilepsy community and physicians to advance NRTX-1001 in clinical development to bring this potential regenerative treatment option to patients as quickly as possible. Moreover, based on its mechanism of action, there are multiple potential indications for expansion of NRTX-1001, highlighting its exciting drug-to-market potential.”

AJ has previously orchestrated and successfully executed strategy for numerous neurological indications at various stages of development. Prior to joining Neurona, AJ served as Chief Medical Officer of Atara Biotherapeutics and Vice President, Head of Clinical Development. There, AJ led the research organization through key milestones in several neurology, oncology and autoimmune disease programs, including multiple IND submissions, Ph I-III clinical trials, and obtaining the first-ever approval for allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy. Previously, he held senior leadership positions at clinical development, medical affairs and biopharma investments at Allergan, Synageva, Genzyme and Hunt Bioventures.

AJ received his bachelor’s degree from Boston University and his M.D. from Boston University School of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Yale.

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About Neuron therapy

Neurona develops ready-made, allogeneic products for regenerative nerve cell therapy with therapeutic potential, enabling long-term repair of the nervous system after a single administration. The company’s lead ingredient NRTX-1001, containing GABAergic interneurons, is currently being investigated for safety and efficacy in two ongoing open-label, multicenter Phase 1/2 studies (NCT05135091) in drug-resistant unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy (UTLE) and (NCT06422923) in drug-resistant bilateral temporal lobe epilepsy (BTLE), neocortical focal epilepsy (NFE) and other indications planned in the future. A positive clinical update from the Phase 1/2 trial in UTLE was presented at the AAN 2024 Annual Meeting. In February 2024, Neurona raised $120 million in private financing co-led by Viking Global Investors and Cormorant Asset Management. More information about Neurona can be found at: www.neuronathrapeutics.com

Contact with the media:
Dr. Elizabeth Wolffe
LSA wheelhouse
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Investor contact:
Laurence Watts
New Street Investor Relations
[email protected]