PepGen Continues to Build Leadership Team with Additions of Senior Vice President, Clinical Operations and Vice President, Toxicology

BOSTON, March 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PepGen, Inc., advancing the next generation of oligonucleotide therapies with the goal of transforming the treatment of severe neuromuscular and neurologic diseases, today announced that it has appointed Jennifer Cormier as Senior Vice President, Clinical Operations and Dr. Jeffrey Foy as Vice President, Toxicology.

Ms. Cormier brings over 15 years of experience in therapeutic and medical device development to the PepGen team, and in her new role will lead clinical operations across the company’s pipeline of Enhanced Delivery Oligonucleotide (EDO) therapeutics, including PGN-EDO51, PepGen’s clinical-stage product candidate for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. With over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Dr. Foy brings deep expertise in the toxicology of oligonucleotide and peptide therapeutics to PepGen, and will facilitate the company’s efforts to discover, develop and translate EDO product candidates.

“Jennifer and Jeff bring a wealth of experience in the development of transformative therapeutics to our team, and both will be instrumental in advancing our portfolio of EDO programs for patients with deep unmet need,” said James McArthur, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of PepGen. “Following Health Canada’s recent acceptance of our Clinical Trial Application (CTA) for PGN-EDO51, and the initiation of our first-in-human clinical trial for this product candidate expected in the next month, Jennifer and Jeff will play a critical role in enabling our clinical-stage operations, and in preparing our pipeline therapeutics for future clinical trials.”

Ms. Cormier has led a number of clinical-stage programs across the course of her career, ranging from first-in-human trials through to post-marketing approval studies in a variety of therapeutic areas, including rare genetic diseases, women’s health, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and obesity, and major depressive disorder. Prior to joining PepGen, Ms. Cormier served as Vice President of Clinical Operations at Relmada Therapeutics, where she was responsible for oversight and execution of late-phase clinical programs. She has also held leadership roles at Sojournix, Acorda Therapeutics, GI Dynamics and Shire. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Massachusetts in Boston.

Ms. Cormier added, “I am honored to be joining the PepGen team, which has a diversity of talent and expertise that is truly unique. PepGen’s leadership shares my own passion for developing therapies that have the potential to improve therapeutic outcomes for people living with rare diseases. Their purposeful focus on that mission is inspiring, and serves as a constant source of motivation as we drive our programs forward into clinical trials.”

Dr. Foy previously served as the Executive Director of Toxicology at Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, where he designed and executed nonclinical safety pharmacology and toxicology studies for internal and partnered development assets. Prior to his time at Dicerna, he held various leadership positions at Celgene, where he worked across a number of therapeutic areas, including oncology, inflammation and immunology. Dr. Foy has made broad contributions to our understanding of the toxicology of oligonucleotide and peptide therapeutics, and his work has been cited in numerous peer-reviewed publications and presentations. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology, a member of the Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society, and Chair of the Oligonucleotide Safety Working Group. Dr. Foy received his Ph.D. in Toxicology from Northeastern University in Boston after obtaining his Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences at the University of Vermont.

“I am delighted to have joined such an amazing team at PepGen. Our programs have tremendous potential to make a meaningful impact in the lives of patients with rare neuromuscular diseases, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy and myotonic dystrophy type 1, and I look forward to contributing to the continued progress of our EDO programs,” said Dr. Foy.

About PepGen
PepGen, Inc. is a biotechnology company advancing next-generation oligonucleotide therapies for neuromuscular and neurologic diseases. PepGen’s proprietary Enhanced Delivery Oligonucleotides (EDOs) are designed to target the underlying causes of rare diseases, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), in a safe and effective manner. In preclinical studies, PepGen’s enhanced delivery peptides demonstrated highly effective cell penetration and delivery of therapeutic candidates to multiple tissue types, including cardiac tissue. PepGen was founded by leading neuromuscular and neurology researchers in Oxford and Cambridge, UK, and is backed by a strong syndicate of investors including RA Capital Management, Oxford Science Enterprises, and others. The company is headquartered in Boston, Mass. For more information, visit www.pepgen.com or follow PepGen on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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