Enanta Pharmaceuticals Announces the Appointment of Tara L. Kieffer, Ph.D. as Senior Vice President, New Product Strategy and Development
Enanta Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ENTA) has appointed Dr. Tara L. Kieffer as Senior Vice President of New Product Strategy and Development. She brings over 20 years of experience, notably from Vertex Pharmaceuticals, where she held key roles in drug discovery and business development. This strategic hire aims to accelerate Enanta's efforts in advancing its pipeline for viral infections and liver diseases. With multiple data readouts expected in 2021, Dr. Kieffer's expertise is anticipated to bolster Enanta's initiatives towards developing new treatments.
- Appointment of Tara Kieffer is expected to enhance leadership and strategic direction in product development.
- Dr. Kieffer's extensive experience in drug discovery and development may lead to accelerated growth and innovation at Enanta.
- Concerns about continuity and potential experience gaps in the management team amidst leadership changes.
WATERTOWN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENTA), a clinical stage biotechnology company dedicated to creating small molecule drugs for viral infections and liver diseases, today announced the appointment of Tara L. Kieffer, Ph.D. as Senior Vice President, New Product Strategy and Development. Dr. Kieffer brings over 20 years of virologic research and pharmaceutical industry experience to Enanta, with proven expertise in drug discovery and development, program management and business development, including having played significant roles in developing and launching medicines for infectious and rare diseases.
“Tara is joining Enanta at a pivotal time as the company is advancing its wholly owned pipeline of virology and liver disease treatments,” stated Jay R. Luly, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer. “In 2021 and beyond, we anticipate having multiple data readouts across our pipeline and are eager to leverage Tara’s scientific expertise in infectious diseases, combined with her experience in business and product development, to maximize the opportunities. We welcome her to the company, and to the senior management team, where we look forward to her contributions to advance our programs.”
“I am truly impressed with Enanta’s commitment to becoming a leader in creating small molecule drugs for the treatment of viral and liver diseases by building on years of antiviral drug discovery and development expertise and prior successes helping to discover two marketed products for the treatment of chronic Hepatitis C infection,” stated Dr. Kieffer. “Enanta has a robust and growing internal portfolio and I am excited to collaborate with the experienced team to accelerate the company’s growth to bring meaningful new treatments to patients.”
Dr. Kieffer joins Enanta from Vertex Pharmaceuticals where she held roles of increasing responsibility. Most recently, she was Vice President, External Innovation, Business Development where she was responsible for assessing the external innovation landscape and leading projects aimed at identifying in-licensing and acquisition opportunities. Prior to that, she was Vice President, Integrated Program Management where she oversaw Vertex's internal development pipeline and marketed products. Previously, she was Senior Director, Chief of Staff to the Chief Medical Officer, supporting strategy and operations across Global Medicines Development and Affairs. Earlier in her career, Dr. Kieffer was Director, Clinical Biomarkers within the Translational and Medical Sciences Department. Prior to that role, she was Head of Clinical Virology, where she built and led a team responsible for laboratory and clinical research studies to understand the development of antiviral drug resistance to Hepatitis C and influenza viruses.
Before joining Vertex, Dr. Kieffer was at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, where her research studies focused on ongoing replication in patients with well-suppressed Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection.
Dr. Kieffer graduated summa cum laude from Colgate University with a B.A. in Molecular Biology. She holds a Ph.D. in Immunology from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She is co-author on more than 50 publications and an inventor on multiple patents involving treatments for Hepatitis C.
About Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Enanta is using its robust, chemistry-driven approach and drug discovery capabilities to become a leader in the discovery and development of small molecule drugs for the treatment of viral infections and liver diseases. Enanta’s research and development efforts have produced clinical candidates for the following disease targets: respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Enanta is also conducting research in human metapneumovirus (hMPV) and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).
Enanta’s research and development activities are funded by royalties from hepatitis C virus (HCV) products developed under its collaboration with AbbVie. Glecaprevir, a protease inhibitor discovered by Enanta, is sold by AbbVie in numerous countries as part of its leading treatment for chronic HCV infection under the tradenames MAVYRET® (U.S.) and MAVIRET® (ex-U.S.) (glecaprevir/pibrentasvir). Please visit www.enanta.com for more information.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements with respect to the prospects for advancement of Enanta’s clinical development programs. Statements that are not historical facts are based on management’s current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about Enanta’s business and the industry in which it operates and management’s beliefs and assumptions. The statements contained in this release are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed in such forward-looking statements. Important factors and risks that may affect actual results include: the discovery and development risks of Enanta’s programs in RSV, NASH, HBV, hMPV and SARS-CoV-2; the competitive impact of development, regulatory and marketing efforts of others in those disease areas; any continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Enanta’s business operations and clinical trials; Enanta’s lack of clinical development experience; Enanta’s need to attract and retain senior management and key research and development personnel; Enanta’s need to obtain and maintain patent protection for its product candidates and avoid potential infringement of the intellectual property rights of others; and other risk factors described or referred to in “Risk Factors” in Enanta’s most recent Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020, and other periodic reports filed more recently with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Enanta cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this release. These statements speak only as of the date of this release, and Enanta undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, except as may be required by law.
