CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Voyager Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: VYGR), a gene therapy and neuroscience company developing life-changing treatments and next-generation adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsids, today announced the appointment of Peter Pfreundschuh as Chief Financial Officer (CFO); Todd Carter, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO); and Trista Morrison as Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs.
“Voyager’s newly prioritized pipeline targets neurological diseases with significant unmet need, and we are assembling the team needed to execute,” said Al Sandrock, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Voyager. “Pete’s extensive corporate finance experience will be integral in maximizing the value of our AAV capsid platform and our pipeline. Todd’s leadership as SVP of research has been instrumental to the success of our R&D team in achieving significant scientific advancements, and I am confident Todd will continue to drive our platform technologies and pipeline forward in his new role as CSO. Trista will be a key contributor as she helps us articulate our vision, invigorate our external and internal communication channels, and engage actively with key stakeholders.”
Peter Pfreundschuh has more than 25 years of finance, business development, commercial and public company leadership experience in the life sciences and medical device industries. Prior to joining Voyager, he served as CFO of Frequency Therapeutics, Inc., where Pfreundschuh provided executive leadership and guidance to help develop a path forward for the company’s hearing program and communicate this to investors. Prior to joining Frequency, Pfreundschuh served as CFO, Chief Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary for UroGen Pharma Ltd., where he led the company in raising $162 million and helped transition the company from a development-stage entity to a commercial-stage company, successfully gaining FDA approval of and commercializing Jelmyto®. Prior to UroGen, Pfreundschuh was the CFO of Sucampo Pharmaceuticals Inc., a successful commercial-stage company, where he co-led the sale of Sucampo to Mallinckrodt. He also served in senior roles at Immunomedics Inc., CircuLite Inc., AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Ernst & Young, LLP. Pfreundschuh is a certified public accountant and received his B.S. in accounting from Rutgers University and his MBA from Rider University.
“I am excited to join Voyager, which is an industry leader in the development of AAV capsid technology, and to work with some of the most well-recognized drug hunters and neuroscientists in the industry. This team has the potential to solve the delivery hurdles that have hampered gene therapy, creating value for patients and shareholders,” said Pfreundschuh.
Todd Carter, Ph.D., is an accomplished neuroscientist with more than 20 years of experience in the life science industry. Carter’s work has been cited in over 20 key research publications on neurological indications including Alzheimer’s disease, mental health disorders, and spinal muscular atrophy. He most recently served as Voyager’s Senior Vice President of Research, supporting the development of the company’s TRACER™ platform, the identification of novel AAV capsids, and the execution of multiple successful industry partnerships. Prior to joining Voyager in 2016, Carter served as the Senior Science Advisor to the Office of the Director of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, where he focused on advancing innovative science concepts toward the clinic. Prior to that, he held research positions at BrainCells Inc. and Ambit Biosciences Inc. He received a B.A. in genetics from Texas A&M University and a Ph.D. in genetics from Columbia University, and he completed his postdoctoral training at the Salk Institute for Biomedical Research.
“I feel so fortunate to have spent the last six years as part of the talented and dedicated research team at Voyager. I am thrilled to continue working with them to fulfill the promise our science has to address fundamental limitations of AAV gene therapy and to help redefine the drug development and treatment landscape for CNS diseases,” said Carter.
Trista Morrison has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare public affairs, including strategic communications, investor relations and patient advocacy. Most recently she served as Chief Corporate Affairs Officer for rare disease company Saniona, where she built and led communications, investor relations, patient advocacy and government relations functions. Previously, Morrison served as Vice President of Communications and Patient Advocacy for Sobi in North America. She has also held positions at PR with Purpose; Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; BioWorld Today; and multiple public relations agencies. Morrison received a B.S. in biology and marketing from Tulane University.
Pfreundschuh, Carter and Morrison will report to Voyager CEO Al Sandrock, M.D., Ph.D., and will serve on Voyager’s Senior Leadership Team. Pfreundschuh’s, Carter’s and Morrison’s appointments will each become effective on September 19.
About Voyager Therapeutics
Voyager Therapeutics (Nasdaq: VYGR) is leading the next generation of AAV gene therapy to unlock the potential of the modality to treat devastating diseases. Proprietary capsids born from Voyager’s TRACER capsid discovery platform are powering a rich early-stage pipeline of programs and may elevate the field to overcome the narrow therapeutic window associated with conventional gene therapy vectors across neurologic disorders and other therapeutic areas. voyagertherapeutics.com LinkedIn Twitter
Voyager Therapeutics® is a registered trademark, and TRACER™ is a trademark, of Voyager Therapeutics, Inc.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements for the purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. The use of words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “target,” “project,” “intend,” “future,” “potential,” or “continue,” and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.
For example, all statements Voyager makes regarding the timing of the effective date of the appointment of Pfreundschuh, Carter and Morrison, the contributions Pfreundschuh, Carter and Morrison may make in their respective roles with the Company, the potential success of the finance, R&D and corporate communications functions under the leadership, respectively, of Pfreundschuh, Carter and Morrison, and the potential for the Company to leverage the value and to fund our AAV capsid platform and our pipeline are forward looking statements.
All forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions by Voyager’s management that, although Voyager believes such forward-looking statements to be reasonable, are inherently uncertain. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those that Voyager expected. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the ability of Pfreundschuh, Carter and Morrison to commence their respective roles and to perform their respective duties successfully; the continued development by Voyager of various technology platforms, including the TRACER platform; Voyager’s scientific approach and general development progress; and the sufficiency of Voyager’s cash resources to fund its operations.
These statements are also subject to a number of material risks and uncertainties that are described in Voyager’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as updated by its subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it was made. Voyager undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise this information or any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
