Athira Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATHA) ("Athira"), a late clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing small molecules to restore neuronal health and stop neurodegeneration, today announced that Mark Litton, PhD, MBA, in his capacity as Chief Operating Officer, has assumed day-to-day leadership responsibilities for the Company, effective immediately.
This follows the Board's determination to place Leen Kawas, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Athira, on temporary leave pending a review of actions stemming from doctoral research Dr. Kawas conducted while at Washington State University. Dr. Kawas will remain on the Board. The Board has formed an independent special committee to undertake this review. The Company does not intend to comment further on this matter until the review has concluded.
Tachi Yamada, MD, Chair of the Board of Athira, said, "Athira is committed to the integrity of scientific research in its mission to restore neuronal health for those suffering from neurological diseases, so that patients can regain their memories, lives, and family relationships. ATH-1017 was discovered, developed, and patented by Athira on the basis of novel data generated within the Company. The Company is confident in the therapeutic potential of ATH-1017 for treating dementia."
About ATH-1017
The mechanism of ATH-1017, Athira's lead therapeutic candidate, is to enhance HGF/MET. Significant scientific data support HGF/MET's role in maintaining neuronal health and function. ATH-1017 was assessed in multiple clinical and preclinical studies. Findings include:
In Phase 1a and Phase 1b clinical trials, ATH-1017 increased the levels of the high frequency gamma power which is the frequency band that is associated with learning, memory, and cognitive function and showed dose-dependent and consistent changes in gamma brain activity signals across all treated cohorts, consistent with the changes observed in non-clinical models;
In the Phase 1b clinical trial, ATH-1017 improved P300 latency, a functional measure of working memory processing speed and executive function that highly correlates with cognition;
In a non-clinical AD animal model (APP1/PS1), ATH-1017 treatment increased the qEEG gamma power that is associated with cognitive processing and memory;
In the aged animal model of dementia, ATH-1017 increased synaptic density and in multiple models of dementia improved performance in tests of spatial memory; and
In vitro (neuronal cultures), ATH-1017 promoted the formation of new spines and functional synapses in hippocampal neurons.
About Mark Litton
Mark Litton, PhD, MBA, has served as Athira's Chief Operating Officer since July 2019. Prior to joining Athira, Dr. Litton served as the President and Chief Operating Officer of Alpine Immune Sciences, Inc. from August 2018 to April 2019. Dr. Litton served as the Chief Business Officer, Treasurer, and Secretary from 2004 to 2018 of Alder BioPharmaceuticals, Inc., a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company co-founded by Dr. Litton in 2004, which was acquired by Lundbeck A/S in October 2019. From 1999 to 2004, Dr. Litton served as Vice President of Business Development for Celltech Group, where he was responsible for securing, commercializing, and partnering on numerous novel discoveries and therapeutic programs. In 1999, Dr. Litton joined Celltech Group as an employee of Chiroscience Group plc and was later promoted to Vice President of Business Development after Chiroscience's merger with Celltech Group in 1999. Earlier in his career, Dr. Litton served in leadership positions at Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals Inc. (now Sirna Therapeutics, Inc.) and DNAX Research Institute, a research facility of Schering-Plough (now Merck & Co.). Dr. Litton earned...
(All Rights Reserved)