Business
Exagen Appoints Debra Jeske Zack, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Medical Officer, and Anja Kammesheidt, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer
SAN DIEGO, March 24, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Exagen Inc. (Nasdaq: XGN), an organization dedicated to transforming the care continuum for patients suffering
About this update from Exagen Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"SAN DIEGO, March 24, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Exagen Inc. (Nasdaq: XGN), an organization dedicated to transforming the care continuum for patients suffering from autoimmune diseases, today announced the appointment of Debra Jeske Zack, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Medical Officer (CMO), and Anja Kammesheidt, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO). The addition of Drs. Zack and Kammesheidt to the Exagen team will strengthen the company as it continues to focus on clinical research and development initiatives to serve the needs of healthcare providers and their patients.\n “Our focus has always been on improving outcomes for patients suffering from autoimmune diseases, which are very challenging to diagnose and treat. Both of these appointments bring in-depth experience and a singular understanding of autoimmune diseases, including lupus and rheumatoid arthritis,” said Exagen President and CEO Ron Rocca. “As the company enters its next phase of growth, we are proud to have our senior leadership team fully aligned and committed to our mission of providing superior solutions to autoimmune healthcare providers and patients. Exagen is well-positioned to accelerate the growth of our existing AVISE tests while developing a pipeline of new testing products within the overlooked autoimmune space.” Dr. Zack is a board-certified rheumatologist with broad experience as a strategic biopharmaceutical executive in the development of therapeutics for autoimmune disease and will oversee the overall strategy and execution of the company’s clinical development plans. She has extensive experience leading research, clinical development and medical affairs teams focusing on autoimmune disorders, highlighted by her role at Amgen as Global Development Lead for Enbrel, one of the best-selling pharmaceuticals in the world. Prior to joining Exagen, Dr. Zack served as Vice President, Clinical Development at Xencor, Inc.; Executive Director, Medical Scientific Leader, Biotherapeutics Development Unit at Novartis; and various positions in basic research, clinical development and medical affairs at Amgen. She was an associate professor treating rheumatology patients for 10 years at UCLA prior to joining industry. She received her undergraduate degree from Texas Christian University and her M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas before co...