Atea Pharmaceuticals Appoints Polly Murphy, D.V.M, Ph.D., to the Board of Directors

Pharmaceutical executive brings 20 years of clinical, commercial and operational leadership


BOSTON, Sept. 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of next-generation therapeutics for severe viral infections, today announced the appointment of Polly Murphy, D.V.M., Ph.D., Chief Business Officer of UroGen Pharma, to its Board of Directors. Dr. Murphy is a seasoned pharmaceutical executive with a wide range of experience spanning research and development, strategy and operations.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Murphy to Atea’s Board of Directors as her expertise and leadership in clinical, business and commercial development will be invaluable as we continue to advance our pipeline of antiviral product candidates. Her insight and guidance will be particularly beneficial as we accelerate the development of AT-527 as an oral treatment for patients with COVID-19,” said Jean-Pierre Sommadossi, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Atea Pharmaceuticals.

“It is an honor to join Atea’s Board particularly at this time when there is such urgent need for safe and effective antiviral therapeutics.  I am looking forward to working closely with this dedicated team to advance development and commercialization of AT-527 and other product candidates which may transform clinical outcomes for patients with life threatening viral diseases,” commented Dr. Murphy. 

Prior to joining UroGen, Dr. Murphy held several senior leadership positions at Pfizer, including commercial development leadership in the Pfizer Oncology Business Unit and at Pfizer China where she was responsible for business and commercial development, as well as strategy and innovation for the company’s biopharmaceutical business in China. Earlier, she held senior positions at The Scripps Research Institute and The Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

Dr. Murphy earned a D.V.M. and Ph.D. in Veterinary Pathology from Iowa State University and an M.B.A. from Nova Southeastern University.

About Atea Pharmaceuticals

Atea Pharmaceuticals is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in discovering and developing therapies to address the unmet medical needs of patients with severe viral diseases. Our lead programs are focused on the development of orally-administered direct acting antivirals for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 in the hospital and community settings, the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C infection, the treatment of patients with dengue, and the treatment of high-risk patients with severe respiratory syncytial virus infection. Our medicinal chemistry, virology, and pharmacology expertise, bolstered by our collective experience in drug development, enables us to pioneer new advancements in antiviral science. Leveraging the power of our purine nucleotide prodrug platform, our goal is to rapidly advance novel drug candidates with optimal therapeutic profiles for RNA virus targets. Founded by our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Jean-Pierre Sommadossi, PhD, Atea began operations in 2014 and is headquartered in Boston, MA. For more information about Atea and our pipeline of product candidates please visit our company website at ateapharma.com.  

Contacts

Investors:
Will O’Connor
Stern Investor Relations 
will.oconnor@sternir.com

Media:
Carol Guaccero 
301-606-4722
contactus@ateapharma.com