- Accomplished leader with significant expertise in therapeutic drug development and licensure as well as a successful track record of collaboration with government agencies -
CLAREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Synedgen, Inc., a biotechnology company targeting human glycobiology to treat gastrointestinal diseases, today announced the appointment of Dr. Laura Saward, PhD, as the company’s Chief Scientific Officer.
Dr. Saward is an accomplished biotechnology executive with more than 25 years of experience in therapeutic drug development from preclinical to licensure. She will lead Synedgen’s scientific strategy to further the company’s development pipeline and government partnerships.
“We are thrilled to announce the addition of Dr. Saward to our executive team as Chief Scientific Officer. With her extensive background in drug development, and her history of managing government contracts, she brings invaluable expertise to our organization shortly after the signing of our up to $119 million partnership with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority,” said Dr. Kenton Gregory, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Synedgen. “We look forward to leveraging her experience in the years ahead as we work to further our lead asset, MIIST305 in the dual indications of gastrointestinal acute radiation syndrome and ulcerative colitis.”
“I am excited to join the great team at Synedgen and leverage my scientific and industry experience to help advance their promising drug candidate MIIST305 to reach its full potential and value, and contribute to the company’s growth strategy,” said Dr. Saward, Chief Scientific Officer, Synedgen. “Synedgen possesses a unique technology with both biodefense and commercial applications, underlined by the recently signed partnerships with BARDA and US Department of Defense.”
Prior to joining Synedgen, Dr. Saward served as Executive Vice President Health and Medical for Adva Diagnostics Inc, a start-up where she was a key member of the executive team focused on strategy, growth planning, and partnerships expansion to strengthen the business. Previously she held several executive roles at Emergent BioSolutions including leading the Therapeutics Business Unit. Before joining Emergent, Dr. Saward held various leadership roles at Cangene including Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President of research and development. She has had the opportunity to direct the licensure of multiple products for commercial markets and government contracts.
Dr. Saward received her B.Sc. from the University of Guelph and Ph.D. from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Manitoba. She completed her Post-doctoral Fellowship at Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario. Dr. Saward maintains strong ties to academia through her adjunct professor position at University of Manitoba, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, and serves as a member of multiple boards.
About Synedgen
Synedgen, Inc. (Claremont, CA) is a biotechnology company developing Multivalent Innate Immune Signaling Target (MIIST) therapeutics that modulate and enhance the innate immune system. The company’s lead development candidate is MIIST305, an oral, glycocalyx targeted induction and maintenance therapy for ulcerative colitis (UC). With US Government support, MIIST305 is also being developed in parallel as a medical countermeasure (MCM) for gastrointestinal acute radiation syndrome (GI-ARS). MIIST technology has been validated with clinical trials in partnered programs and extensively peer-reviewed through twenty-two (22) National Institutes of Health grants and Department of Defense contracts. Synedgen has an in-house GMP manufacturing facility. For more information, please visit www.synedgen.com. Synedgen’s GI-ARS program is funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the Department of Health and Human Services; Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR); Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, under Contract No. 75A50124C00047. For more information, please visit www.synedgen.com.
Contacts
Laurence Watts
619-916-7620
laurence@newstreetir.com
