SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Nov. 07, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Assembly Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASMB), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing innovative therapeutics targeting hepatitis B virus (HBV) and diseases associated with the microbiome, today announced the appointment of Luisa Stamm, MD, PhD, as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Stamm is an infectious disease specialist whose industry career has focused on the development of therapeutics for hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV.
“We are excited to have Luisa joining the Assembly team. Her clinical training, research experience, and track record in drug development make her ideally suited to lead clinical activities across our HBV and microbiome programs,” said John McHutchison, AO, MD, Chief Executive Officer and President. “Luisa has in the past repeatedly demonstrated her ability to execute both effectively and efficiently on clinical development strategy from early trials through to registrational studies, including regulatory filings. Her expertise and leadership will be particularly important as we advance our core inhibitors into later stage development for the treatment of HBV.”
“I am excited to join Assembly’s leadership team and to help the company pursue potentially curable, finite treatments for the 250 million patients worldwide living with chronic HBV infection,” said Dr. Stamm. “I’m encouraged by the potential for core inhibitors to be a cornerstone of transformative therapeutic regimens and by the data we have shown to date with our portfolio candidates. I also look forward to advancing and expanding our pipeline of microbiome candidates from our differentiated platform for oral live biotherapeutics.”
Dr. Stamm joins Assembly from Gilead where she was a senior member of the HCV and HIV clinical research teams with responsibility for scientific and clinical development activities and overall research strategy. She was Executive Director in the Liver Diseases Therapeutic Area, serving as project team leader of the development of two HCV therapeutics which are now marketed (VOSEVI® and EPCLUSA®1), and Executive Director in the HIV and Emerging Viruses Therapeutic Area, focusing on the development of broadly neutralizing antibodies for HIV cure. In these roles, she supervised Phase 1, 2 and 3 clinical trials, and the filing of initial marketing applications in US, EU, Canada, China and Japan. Previously she was a Clinical Fellow and Instructor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Assistant in Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital where she completed a clinical fellowship in infectious diseases and a post-doctoral research fellowship in bacterial pathogenesis. She is widely published in the areas of viral disease and microbial pathogenesis. Dr. Stamm received an MD and PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of California, San Francisco, and a BA in Biochemical Sciences from Harvard College.
About Assembly Biosciences
Assembly Biosciences, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing innovative therapeutics targeting hepatitis B virus (HBV) and diseases associated with the microbiome. The HBV program is focused on advancing a new class of potent, oral core inhibitors that have the potential to increase cure rates for chronically infected patients. The microbiome program is developing novel oral live microbial biotherapeutic candidates with Assembly’s fully integrated platform, including a robust process for strain identification and selection, GMP banking and production, and targeted delivery to the lower gastrointestinal tract with the GEMICEL® technology. For more information, visit assemblybio.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
The information in this press release contains forward-looking statements regarding future events, including statements about the clinical and therapeutic potential of core inhibitors and advancement of our core inhibitors into later stage clinical trials. Certain forward-looking statements may be identified by reference to a future period or by use of forward-looking terminology such as “advances” and “potential.” Assembly intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected or implied in these forward-looking statements. More information about the risks and uncertainties faced by Assembly are more fully detailed under the heading “Risk Factors” in Assembly's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2019 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, Assembly assumes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Contacts
Assembly Biosciences, Inc.
Investors:
Lauren Glaser
(415) 521-3828
lglaser@assemblybio.com
