June 18, 2015 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AveXis, Inc., a leading gene therapy company developing treatments for rare and life-threatening genetic diseases, today announced the appointment of Sean P. Nolan as Chief Executive Officer. He will oversee all functions at AveXis, including clinical, regulatory, finance, operations, sales and marketing, manufacturing and quality assurance. He also will join the company's Board of Directors. Previously, Mr. Nolan was the Chief Business Officer at InterMune.
"I look forward to working with the entire SMA community on this most critical endeavor."
"We are delighted that Sean has joined AveXis as he has nearly 25 years of proven pharmaceutical and biotech industry experience in rare and orphan diseases, and a proven track record of results at both large and small organizations," said John D. Harkey, Jr., Chairman of AveXis. "Sean has held a number of executive leadership positions at both publicly-held and private companies that focused on developing treatments for severe diseases with significant unmet medical need. In these positions, he successfully created value by building cohesive, talented management teams, providing a compelling vision, and fostering entrepreneurial culture."
Mr. Nolan joins AveXis as the company is nearing completion of its fully-enrolled Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). A rare genetic disease, SMA is the most common cause of infant mortality and the second-most common autosomal recessive genetic disorder.
"I'm excited to join the AveXis team and lead a company developing a revolutionary gene therapy treatment that may significantly improve the lives of patients and families suffering from SMA," said Mr. Nolan. "I look forward to working with the entire SMA community on this most critical endeavor."
At InterMune (acquired by Roche), an orphan disease company focused on specialty fibrotic disorders, Mr. Nolan led multiple functions across the organization, including North American commercial operations, global marketing, corporate and business development, and global manufacturing/supply chain. He also was responsible for planning and executing the U.S. launch of the company's novel treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a rare and fatal lung disease with no approved or effective treatments. Prior to that, he held executive positions at Reata Pharmaceuticals and at Ovation Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Lundbeck HS), a company focused on orphan neurology diseases. Earlier in his career, he held key management positions at Abbott, including several years in its neuroscience franchise.
About AveXis, Inc.
AveXis is a clinical-stage gene therapy company establishing unique industry alliances to create innovative treatments in areas of unmet medical needs. The company's most advanced product candidate, ChariSMA, is in a fully-enrolled Phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), an autosomal-recessive genetic disorder characterized by lower motor neuron loss and progressive muscle weakness. SMA is caused by a genetic defect in the SMN1 gene that codes SMN, a protein necessary for survival of motor neurons. SMA is the most common cause of infant mortality and is the second-most common autosomal recessive genetic disorder. For more information about AveXis, please visit: www.avexisbio.com.
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