Former CEO of Freeline Therapeutics, Ltd. has outstanding international drug development, commercialization expertise, with focus on rare disease, gene therapy

Renovacor, Inc, a preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing transformative gene therapy-based treatments for cardiovascular disease, today announced the addition of Dr. Anne Prener to both the companys board of directors and scientific advisory board.

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Anne Prener, M.D., Ph.D. Appointed to Renovacor Board of Directors and Scientific Advisory Board (Photo: Business Wire)

Dr. Prener has a proven track record of building and leading high-performing global teams for both preclinical and clinical stage biotech companies. Her 25+ years of experience across several therapeutic areas has focused on rare diseases and gene therapy. Most recently, Dr. Prener served as CEO of Freeline Therapeutics, Ltd., where she scaled the company from the preclinical stage to a fully-integrated biotechnology organization, which included a broad, internally developed pipeline, two programs in clinical development and a commercial-scale, high-quality CMC and manufacturing platform. Prior to that, Dr. Prener was CEO for Gyroscope, a gene therapy company focused on addressing important retinal diseases with novel approaches. She helped build the company from start, including hiring the clinical, regulatory and scientific teams, developed medical and commercial strategy and served as a leading board director of the company. Overall, Dr. Prener has been instrumental in bringing six biologics through development, approval and launch preparations, of which one new treatment for hemophilia took only 4.5 years from first human dose to approval.

"We are delighted to have Anne join both the board of directors and scientific advisory board at a time when our industry has a pressing need for more women in high-impact leadership and mentorship roles," said Renovacor CEO Magdalene Cook. "Anne is not only a brilliant scientist in her own right, but her experience as CEO at two prior gene therapy companies will be invaluable and highly relevant to the opportunities and challenges we will face as we build Renovacor. I know Anne will be an engaged and effective advisor and will help us develop foundational long-term strategies."

"I look forward to working with such distinguished colleagues in a uniquely positioned company in the rare disease gene therapy space. The cardiovascular clinical indication is a virtually untouched one, with many exciting possibilities," said Anne Prener, M.D., Ph.D. "My role on the board of directors and scientific advisory board will be hands-on. I will engage with Dr. Cook and her team bringing my experience to bear on pivotal near term initiatives, key to Renovacors success, from manufacturing to preclinical and clinical planning, building a pipeline, and progressing the long term strategic goals of the company."

Dr. Prener joins Renovacors world-class scientific advisory board, which also includes Arthur M. Feldman, MD, PhD, Laura H. Carnell Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, and Founder, Renovacor; Michael Bristow, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine-Cardiology, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, and Co-founder, President and CEO, ARCABiopharma; Douglas Mann, MD, Lewin Professor of Medicine, Director of Cardiovascular Division, Washington University School of Medicine; Dennis McNamara, MD, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Heart Failure Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; and Joseph Glorioso III, PhD, Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

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A Commitment to Improving Treatment of Genetically Derived Cardiovascular DiseasesRenovacors lead program is a recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapy for patients suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) due to mutations in the BAG3 gene, based on discoveries made by Renovacor Founder, Dr. Arthur M. Feldman. Dilated cardiomyopathy is a condition affecting over 3 million patients in the US and growing steadily. Many patients develop DCM due to ischemic heart disease. Recently subpopulations have been identified that develop DCM due to mutations in specific genes that have been shown to result in the development of DCM. One of these specific genes is the Bcl2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) gene. The prevalence of disease causing BAG3 haploinsufficiency is estimated at approximately 35,000 individuals in the United States, representing an orphan disease by FDA guidelines. Currently DCM patients with a BAG3 mutation are treated with standard of care for heart failure. Despite improvements in pharmacotherapy and care, the five-year survival of a patient with DCM is only 50%. Development of a BAG3 gene replacement therapy for patients with DCM that carry BAG3 mutations could potentially prevent progression of disease in this otherwise healthy population of young adults.

About RenovacorRenovacor is a preclinical stage biotechnology company whose mission is to develop improved therapies for genetically derived cardiovascular diseases. The company is currently developing a gene therapy for a rare, familial form of dilated cardiomyopathy. Renovacors lead gene therapy product aims to restore cardiac function in patients with symptomatic heart failure due to BAG3 gene mutation. For further information about Renovacor, please visit http://www.renovacorinc.com.

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Contacts

Renovacor: Magdalene Cook, MDCEO, Renovacor203-524-0788mcook@renovacorinc.com

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Anne Prener, M.D., Ph.D. Appointed to Renovacor Board of Directors and Scientific Advisory Board - Yahoo Finance