BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Ember Therapeutics, Inc., a company harnessing breakthroughs in brown fat biology and insulin sensitization to revolutionize the treatment of metabolic disease, today announced the appointment of Jasbir Seehra, Ph.D., to chief scientific officer; also, Jeff Saunders, Ph.D., joins Ember as vice president, small molecule drug discovery. Drs. Seehra and Saunders will advance the companys work in translating its world-class biology into a proprietary pipeline of groundbreaking therapies for metabolic diseases, including Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Both Jas and Jeff have extensive, proven track records leading drug discovery efforts and translating promising science into clinical programs, said Lou Tartaglia, Ph.D., president and interim chief executive officer of Ember Therapeutics and partner at Third Rock Ventures, LLC. Jas has already played a key role at Ember as part of our world-class team of scientific advisors, and his expertise will be instrumental as we work toward meeting the critical need for novel therapeutic approaches in the metabolic disease space. Im looking forward to working closely with Jas and Jeff as we accelerate and advance our brown fat biology and selective insulin sensitization programs toward the clinic.

Dr. Seehra has served as an advisor on Embers scientific advisory board since the companys launch last year. With greater than 25 years of experience developing innovative small molecule and biologic drugs, Dr. Seehra served as chief scientific officer of Acceleron Pharma, Inc., which he co-founded in 2003. He has also served as vice president of biological chemistry at Wyeth and led the small molecule lead discovery effort at Genetics Institute, Inc., where he successfully built the institutes small molecule drug discovery capabilities, including medicinal chemistry, high throughput screening and structural biology. Dr. Seehra has authored numerous publications and is an inventor on 33 patents. Dr. Seehra received his B.S. and Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Southampton in England. He completed his postdoctoral work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

With its innovative and proprietary programs, key intellectual property and unparalleled team of scientific co-founders, Ember has rapidly positioned itself at the forefront of the emerging area of brown fat biology, said Dr. Seehra. I am enthusiastic about the impact Ember can have on the lives of patients affected by metabolic disease and committed to working with the team to realize the potential of Embers unique therapeutic programs.

Dr. Saunders has extensive experience leading small molecule discovery and development for emerging biotechnology companies. Prior to joining Ember Therapeutics, Dr. Saunders served as the vice president of chemistry at Agios Pharmaceuticals. Previously, he worked as a consultant at Elixir Pharmaceuticals, where he managed all chemistry and related intellectual property. Prior to that, Dr. Saunders held the position of principal investigator at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, where he worked for 14 years as chemistry head and project head for multiple programs. Previously, he was a research scientist at the Squibb Institute for Medical Research. Dr. Saunders received his B.A. in chemistry from Hope College in Michigan and his Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry at the University of South Carolina. He held a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania.

About Ember Therapeutics, Inc.

Ember Therapeutics is a product-focused company harnessing breakthroughs in brown fat biology and insulin sensitization to revolutionize the treatment of metabolic disease. Todays rising epidemic of obesity and Type 2 diabetes coupled with the lack of innovation in the industrys metabolic disorder treatment pipeline underscores the need for novel, peripherally-acting treatments with improved safety profiles. Embers unique approach leverages recent research breakthroughs in brown fat biology to develop a pipeline of proprietary biologics and small molecules designed to amplify the bodys innate ability to efficiently burn fuels like glucose. Embers expertise is also driving the development of the next generation of highly selective insulin sensitizers that have robust anti-diabetic effects, but lack the serious side effects of currently approved insulin sensitizers. Ember is a private company launched in 2011 by renowned scientific founders, an experienced leadership team and Third Rock Ventures. For more information, please visit http://www.embertx.com.

More:
Ember Therapeutics Expands Scientific Leadership to Advance Metabolic Pipeline