Avidity NanoMedicines Recruits Andrew Geall, Ph.D., As Vice President, Formulations and Chemistry
LA JOLLA, Calif., April 9, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Avidity NanoMedicines LLC, a biopharmaceutical company pioneering a new class of precision nanomedicines for the treatment of cancer and other diseases, announced today that Andrew Geall, Ph.D., has joined the company as Vice President, Formulations and Chemistry.
Avidity NanoMedicines is discovering and developing targeted, polymeric nanoparticles that encapsulate siRNA, miRNA or mRNA drug payloads to treat areas of major unmet medical need, with a primary focus in oncology. These self-assembling nanoparticles can be decorated with a variety of targeting agents, including antibodies, antibody fragments, proteins, peptides and small molecules that bind extracellular receptors and facilitate cellular uptake. The payload of each particle is composed of hundreds to thousands of oligonucleotides that can precisely target driver oncogenes, oncogenic pathways and/or resistance mechanisms.
Dr. Geall brings more than twelve years of industry experience making nanoparticle delivery systems for siRNA, mRNA and pDNA. Prior to joining Avidity NanoMedicines, Dr. Geall served as RNA Vaccine Platform Leader at Novartis Vaccines, Inc., where he pioneered the exploration of self-amplifying mRNA vaccines as a novel synthetic nucleic acid platform technology. Earlier in his career at Novartis, he served as global siRNA formulations team leader and was a senior expert on siRNA delivery systems. Dr. Geall has undergraduate degrees in chemical engineering and pharmacy and completed his Ph.D. in gene delivery at the University of Bath.
"Andy brings a wealth of drug delivery expertise to Avidity NanoMedicines during a pivotal time in our company's growth," said Art Levin, Ph.D., Executive Vice President at Avidity NanoMedicines. "Given his track record at developing novel technologies for the delivery of nucleic acid therapeutics, his decision to join Avidity makes a strong statement about the scientific and commercial potential for our technology."
"I was very attracted by the team at Avidity NanoMedicines as well as the Company's precision nanomedicine platform," said Dr. Geall. "The unique selectivity and potential for combination pharmacology of Avidity's platform technology represents a powerful approach to the discovery and development of precision medicines and has the potential to create multiple new classes of safer and more effective therapies."
About Avidity NanoMedicines
Avidity NanoMedicines is pioneering a new class of precision nanomedicines for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. Our vision is to leverage advances in nanoengineering, materials science, oligonucleotide-based therapeutics, and cancer genetics to provide patients with safer, more effective therapies. Through partnerships with academic and industry experts, Avidity is applying its technology to the discovery and development of novel, highly-targeted drugs. Avidity NanoMedicines is privately-held and located in La Jolla, California. For more information, please see www.aviditynano.com.
Contact: Kent Hawryluk, Chief Business Officer, 858-401-7900 x501, [email protected]