Business
Agios Announces Evolution of Research Organization
– Sarah Gheuens, M.D., Ph.D., to be Named Head of R&D, Chief Medical Officer; Chief Scientific Officer Bruce Car to Step Down at the End of July – – Company
About this update from Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"– Sarah Gheuens, M.D., Ph.D., to be Named Head of R&D, Chief Medical Officer; Chief Scientific Officer Bruce Car to Step Down at the End of July – – Company to Focus Internal Research Efforts on Late Lead-Optimization Programs, Including PAH Stabilizers and BCAT2 Inhibitors, and Prioritize In-Licensing or Acquiring Promising, Well-Characterized Assets for Pipeline Growth – – Expected to Deliver Annual Average Cost Savings of $40-50 Million Starting in 2023 – CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AGIO), a leader in the field of cellular metabolism pioneering therapies for genetically defined diseases, today announced the evolution of its research organization. Sarah Gheuens, M.D., Ph.D., the company’s current chief medical officer, will assume the role of head of research and development and chief medical officer at the end of July. Agios’ chief scientific officer, Bruce Car, Ph.D., will step down from the role and remain with the company through July to facilitate the transition. In parallel, Agios is evolving its approach to exploratory research and drug discovery to focus on its existing late lead-optimization programs and leverage business development opportunities to complement these programs and ensure a sustainable pipeline. Agios plans to reduce up to 50 roles focused on exploratory research, while retaining a strong internal research team focused on roles critical to advancing the company’s current and future late-stage research and early clinical programs. The initiative is expected to deliver annual average cost savings of $40-50 million associated with research and related expenses between 2023 and 2026. “Sarah has been an invaluable asset to our team since 2019, and under her leadership, we believe this transition will enable us to maintain a strong research core, advance our internally discovered and validated programs, enhance our pipeline with promising drug candidates from external sources and allocate capital more efficiently,” said Jackie Fouse, Ph.D., chief executive officer at Agios. “We continue to prioritize investment in advancing programs that we believe have the highest likelihood of making an impact for patients, including our registration-enabling clinical programs in thalassemia, sickle cell disease and pediatric pyruvate kinase deficiency, our Phase 2...