Viridian Therapeutics Appoints Tony Casciano as Chief Commercial Officer
Viridian Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRDN) announced the appointment of Tony Casciano as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and the departure of Carrie Melvin from her role as Chief Operating Officer (COO). Casciano brings over 20 years of experience in biopharma, including leadership roles at Teal Bio and AMAG Pharmaceuticals. Under his leadership, Viridian aims to strengthen its commercial operation, particularly with its lead asset, VRDN-001, currently in a Phase 3 trial for thyroid eye disease (TED). The company is also pursuing additional therapies for TED. The management transition is seen as a critical step in the company’s growth, as it seeks to deliver novel therapies to underserved populations.
- Appointment of Tony Casciano as new CCO, bringing extensive biopharma experience.
- Casciano's leadership expected to enhance commercial operations and market strategy.
- Advancement of VRDN-001 in a global Phase 3 trial, indicating progress in clinical development.
- Departure of COO Carrie Melvin may raise concerns about leadership continuity.
WALTHAM, Mass., April 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Viridian Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRDN), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing potential best-in-class medicines for serious and rare diseases, today announced the appointment of Tony Casciano to the role of Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). The Company also announced that Chief Operating Officer (COO) Carrie Melvin is no longer with the organization.
Mr. Casciano, who most recently served as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and member of the board of directors of Teal Bio, brings to Viridian more than two decades of sales, marketing, and commercial leadership experience in the biopharma industry.
“Tony’s arrival marks an important milestone in Viridian’s growth and maturation,” said Scott Myers, President and CEO of Viridian. “With the lead asset in our thyroid eye disease (TED) program in a Phase 3 trial and additional investigational therapies for TED following close behind, it is imperative that we focus on building a world class commercial operation. I’m confident that under Tony’s seasoned leadership, we’ll be well positioned to do just that. I’m thrilled to be working with him in this endeavor as we pursue our vision to become a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company.”
Prior to leading Teal Bio, Mr. Casciano spent four years at AMAG Pharmaceuticals, serving initially as Senior Vice President, Head of U.S. Sales and Marketing before ascending to Executive Vice President, COO/CCO. During his time at AMAG, he was responsible for leading more than 300 staff across a range of functions, including commercial, market access, patient services, and alliance management.
“I’m delighted to be joining Viridian at such a remarkable time for the organization,” said Mr. Casciano. “Throughout my career, I’ve taken immense pride in assembling high-performing teams to help ensure that patients gain access to the therapies they need. It’s incredibly exciting to think that Viridian is moving closer to delivering novel therapies to an underserved population, and I’m honored to be able to play an important part in that process.”
Mr. Casciano began his career in industry in sales positions at Sanofi/Genzyme, rising through that organization in roles of increasing responsibility. He completed his 16-year tenure there as Head of Marketing, General Medicines. He holds a B.S. from Bridgewater State University and has completed multiple executive education programs.
About Viridian Therapeutics
Viridian Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company focused on engineering and developing potential best-in-class medicines for patients with serious and rare diseases. Viridian’s expertise in antibody discovery and engineering enables it to develop differentiated therapeutic candidates for previously validated drug targets in commercially established disease areas.
Viridian is advancing multiple candidates in the clinic for the treatment of patients with thyroid eye disease (TED). The Company recently initiated its first global Phase 3 trial called ‘THRIVE’ to evaluate the safety and efficacy of VRDN-001 in patients with active TED. Viridian is also evaluating VRDN-001 in a Phase 2 proof-of-concept trial in patients with chronic TED. In addition to its intravenously administered VRDN-001 program, the Company is advancing two candidates for its subcutaneous strategy with the goal of providing a more conveniently administered therapy to patients with TED. Viridian is developing multiple preclinical assets in autoimmune and rare diseases.
Viridian is based in Waltham, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.viridiantherapeutics.com. Follow Viridian on LinkedIn and twitter.
Contacts
Investors:
Louisa Stone, 508-808-2400
Manager, Investor Relations
IR@viridiantherapeutics.com
Todd James, 617-272-4691
Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations
IR@viridiantherapeutics.com
Media:
Matt Fearer, 617-272-4605
Vice President, Corporate Communications
Media@viridiantherapeutics.com
Source: Viridian Therapeutics, Inc.
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