Aileron Anticipates Initiation of Clinical Development in Early 2013; Forward Momentum Includes Recent Milestone Achievement with Oncology Program Partnered with Roche
Aileron Therapeutics Unveils New Therapeutic Drug Program; Appoints Hubert C. Chen, M.D., to Vice President of Clinical Development
Pure Communications, Inc.Sheryl Seapy, 949-608-0841
today announced the appointment of Hubert C. Chen, M.D., to vice president of clinical development, endocrine and metabolic disease. This strategic appointment comes as Aileron expands into endocrine and metabolic diseases and prepares to initiate clinical development in early 2013 of its first Stapled Peptide drug candidate, ALRN-5281, a proprietary, long-acting growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) agonist for treating orphan disorders including adult growth hormone (GH) deficiency and HIV lipodystrophy, as well as broader patient populations such as GH-deficient abdominal obesity.
“Hubert’s appointment comes at a pivotal point in Aileron’s evolution as we prepare to enter the clinic with the first Stapled Peptide drug. This novel therapeutic is designed to address significant unmet needs in patients suffering from severe endocrine and metabolic disorders,” said Joseph A. Yanchik III, president and chief executive officer of Aileron Therapeutics. “We also recently achieved a key development milestone in our lead oncology program, a dual inhibitor of MDM2 and MDMX for p53-dependent cancer therapy that is being developed in collaboration with Roche. Aileron now has prospective Stapled Peptide drugs in each of our two important franchise areas. We look forward to sharing more of our insights through symposia and publications as we establish this new field of drug development.”
Dr. Chen joins Aileron from Regulus Therapeutics, where he served as vice president of translational medicine and was responsible for the development of microRNA-based medicines in multiple therapeutic areas, including atherosclerosis, diabetes, fibrosis, oncology and hepatitis C infection. Prior to Regulus, Dr. Chen was senior director of clinical research and corporate development at Amylin Pharmaceuticals, where he was responsible for the development and prioritization of second-generation obesity and diabetes programs. Before joining the biotech industry, Dr. Chen was staff research investigator at the Gladstone Institutes and assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. He received his residency training at Massachusetts General Hospital, an M.D. from Columbia University, and a B.A.S. in political sciences and biological sciences from Stanford University. Dr. Chen is board certified in internal medicine and endocrinology.
“I am thrilled to lead this potential best-in-class, Stapled Peptide-based therapeutic into clinical development,” said Dr. Chen. “By applying Aileron’s transformative technology to a key biological target, we are reducing the frequency of dosing and harnessing normal physiology of the GH pathway to achieve an optimal profile in efficacy, safety, convenience and compliance. The differentiating attributes of ALRN-5281 could overcome many challenges experienced with currently available GH and GHRH therapies.”
Aileron Therapeutics is creating the first new class of drugs in 20 years and is uniquely positioned to capitalize on key biological insights to attack complex diseases such as cancer, endocrine metabolic conditions and inflammation. By harnessing one of the most common, but elusive, structures in nature - the alpha helical peptide, we believe we can dramatically improve the treatment of these diseases and positively impact the lives of millions of patients around the globe. For more information, please visit .