Inozyme Pharma Appoints Deborah Wenkert, M.D., as Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer
Inozyme Pharma (Nasdaq: INZY) announced the appointment of Dr. Deborah Wenkert as Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, effective February 2, 2021. With over 20 years of experience in pediatric rheumatology and metabolic bone disorders, Dr. Wenkert will lead clinical development programs and scientific communications. She succeeds Dr. Pedro Huertas, who has left the position. Dr. Wenkert has previously held significant roles at PreciThera and Amgen, enhancing her qualifications for the new role as Inozyme advances its clinical trials for rare bone diseases, specifically ENPP1 and ABCC6 deficiencies.
- Appointment of Dr. Deborah Wenkert brings over 20 years of experience in pediatric rheumatology and metabolic bone disorders.
- Dr. Wenkert's expertise is expected to enhance Inozyme's clinical development and scientific communications.
- Company planning to initiate clinical trials for INZ-701 in the first half of 2021.
- Departure of Dr. Pedro Huertas may lead to concerns about continuity in leadership and experience.
BOSTON, Feb. 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inozyme Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: INZY), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of rare diseases of abnormal mineralization impacting the vasculature, soft tissue and skeleton, today announced the appointment of Deborah Wenkert, M.D. as senior vice president and chief medical officer, effective February 2, 2021.
Dr. Wenkert, a leading pediatric rheumatologist with more than 20 years of experience in metabolic bone and genetic disorders, will direct Inozyme’s clinical development programs as well as scientific communications activities. She succeeds Pedro Huertas, M.D., Ph.D., who has stepped down from his position to pursue other interests.
“It is a great pleasure to welcome Deborah Wenkert to the Inozyme team. Inozyme will benefit from her expertise in developing novel treatments for rare bone disorders as we plan to bring INZ-701 into clinical trials in the first half of 2021. Dr. Wenkert, a pediatrician, has dedicated her career to the care for patients with severe metabolic bone disease. Her experience as a pediatric rheumatologist, researcher, and industry executive will be invaluable as we explore new indications in rare bone disease,” said Axel Bolte, M.Sc., M.B.A., co-founder, president and chief executive officer of Inozyme Pharma. “We thank Dr. Pedro Huertas for his contributions to the company and wish him well in his future endeavors.”
Dr. Wenkert previously served as chief medical officer of PreciThera, Inc., where she managed several early clinical development programs in rare bone diseases. Before that, Dr. Wenkert was a medical director in clinical research at Amgen Inc., where she helped design Phase 2 and lead Phase 3 and 4 clinical trials in the inflammation and bone therapeutic areas. Both at Amgen and since, she has facilitated multiple regulatory interactions and submissions.
Dr. Wenkert’s career in academic medicine and clinical research includes more than a decade at St. Louis University School of Medicine, where she was an associate adjunct clinical professor of pediatrics. As associate director of the Center for Metabolic Bone Disease and Molecular Research at Shriners Hospital for Children in St. Louis, Dr. Wenkert conducted research and provided clinical care to children living with metabolic bone and genetic disorders and has volunteered there since.
“I am excited to join Inozyme’s team as we advance the understanding of devastating and deadly diseases of abnormal mineralization,” said Dr. Wenkert. “Building on strong scientific and preclinical data, Inozyme’s drug development plans are following a clear path to help patients with ENPP1 deficiency as well as ABCC6 deficiency. I look forward to working with the team to achieve these important goals.”
Dr. Wenkert holds a B.A. in Biochemistry from Rice University, and an M.D. from the University of Texas Medical Branch. Dr. Wenkert is board-certified in pediatrics and pediatric rheumatology. She is the author of more than 35 peer-reviewed research publications, more than 100 scientific conference presentations and has authored two book chapters.
About Inozyme Pharma
Inozyme Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: INZY), is a clinical-stage rare disease biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of diseases of abnormal mineralization impacting the vasculature, soft tissue and skeleton. It is well established that two genes, ENPP1 and ABCC6, play key roles in a critical mineralization pathway and that defects in these genes lead to abnormal mineralization. We are initially focused on developing a novel therapy to treat ENPP1 and ABCC6 deficiencies. ENPP1 and ABCC6 deficiencies are chronic, systemic, and progressive diseases occurring over the course of a patient’s lifetime, starting as early as fetal development and spanning into adulthood. ENPP1 and ABCC6 deficiencies are estimated to occur in approximately one in 200,000 and one in 50,000 births, respectively.
Inozyme Pharma was founded in 2017 by Joseph Schlessinger, Ph.D., Demetrios Braddock, M.D., Ph.D., and Axel Bolte, MSc, MBA, with technology developed by Dr. Braddock and licensed from Yale University. For more information, please visit www.inozyme.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the initiation and timing of our future clinical trials and our research and development programs. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks associated with the Company’s ability to obtain and maintain necessary approvals from the FDA and other regulatory authorities; continue to advance its product candidates in preclinical studies and clinical trials; replicate in later clinical trials positive results found in preclinical studies and early-stage clinical trials of its product candidates; advance the development of its product candidates under the timelines it anticipates in planned and future clinical trials; obtain, maintain and protect intellectual property rights related to its product candidates; manage expenses; and raise the substantial additional capital needed to achieve its business objectives. For a discussion of other risks and uncertainties, and other important factors, any of which could cause the Company’s actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see the “Risk Factors” section, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors, in the Company’s most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company’s views as of the date hereof and should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof. The Company anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause the Company’s views to change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so.
Contacts
Investors:
Brian Luque, Director, Investor Relations
(951) 206-1200
ir@inozyme.com
Media:
Alex Van Rees, SmithSolve
(973) 442-1555 ext. 111
alex.vanrees@smithsolve.com
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