PepGen: Enhanced Delivery Oligonucleotides in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

When:

October 27, 2022 1:00PM

Join Jett Foundation’s Community Webinar Series on October 27 as we welcome PepGen, who will present on their Enhanced Delivery Oligonucleotides (EDOs) and how they are being studied and evaluated in their Duchenne muscular dystrophy pipeline. Plans will be shared about PepGen’s DMD program, and how they utilize community insights to shape their program.

PepGen: Enhanced Delivery Oligonucleotides in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Thursday, October 27, 2022 | 1:00PM – 2:00PM EST

Guest Speaker

Jane Larkindale is the Vice President of Clinical Science at PepGen. She has dedicated the past 15 years of her career to accelerating therapy development for neuromuscular diseases through supporting research, developing collaborations, developing data sharing platforms, and seeking regulatory acceptance of disease models, outcome assessments, and biomarkers. She has worked with world leaders in the rare disease space, including the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance, Critical Path Institute, and the Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation.

Guest Speaker

Michelle is Senior Vice President, Head of Clinical Development at PepGen. She has extensive experience in evaluation and treatment of neuromuscular and neurological indications, having worked in both academic and commercial settings. Most recently, she served in roles of increasing responsibility, including Executive Medical Director, at Fulcrum Therapeutics where she led the design and implementation of Phase I/II/III clinical trials for the company’s novel treatment of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. While leading clinical development efforts at Fulcrum, she also worked as an Attending Physician affiliated with Tufts Medical Center, specializing in Neurology as a member of their Pediatrics department.

Michelle has also held leadership roles at Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Biogen, where she facilitated the preclinical translation and clinical development of treatments for pain, multiple sclerosis, and other indications. Michelle completed her residency at Brown Medical School, received her M.D. from the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and earned her B.A. in Molecular Biology from Colgate University.

Guest Speaker

Alayna has over ten years of biotech experience between patient advocacy and medical affairs in smaller-sized companies like PepGen and bigger companies alike, uniting internal and external stakeholders to develop medicines that meet the unmet needs of various communities. She studied economics at St. Louis University and received her Master of Public Health at Boston University to fuel her curiosity of how individuals, communities, and physicians make healthcare decisions. She joined PepGen earlier this year and is excited to bring her prior rare neuromuscular disease experience to this community.

Guest Speaker

Sarah Vacca serves as Director, Clinical Operations at PepGen. Sarah has worked at multiple biotech companies across CNS, rare disease, oncology and women’s health indications, and was most recently at Agios Pharmaceuticals where she led the team through startup and screening of their first pediatric rare disease pivotal studies.

Prior to moving up to Massachusetts and joining biotech, Sarah spent many years working with disability non-profit organizations in Florida with her husband Andrew, who has spina bifida. In Florida, Sarah started up multiple programs to serve the local disability community, including annual disability summer camps and creating a caregiver respite program. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys hiking, traveling, cooking, and reading about behavioral economics.

Guest Speaker

Dr. Ashling Holland is the Associate Director of Research and Preclinical Development at PepGen. Ashling has worked in the neuromuscular disease field since 2011. Following a PhD in muscular dystrophy and a Post-Doc in molecular immunology, Ashling moved to the University of Oxford (UK) were she worked as a Post-Doctoral researcher developing PepGen’s proprietary technology. In 2018, Ashling joined PepGen as one of the first employees at the Oxford site where she set up and developed PepGen’s preclinical research activities. Ashling moved to Boston in 2022 to further develop PepGen’s DMD and myotonic dystrophy programmes.

Our Community Webinar Series is focused on ensuring that our Duchenne community is better prepared for those unexpected moments, challenging medical decisions, and difficult stages when on a Duchenne journey.

No one ever expects Duchenne and there is no correct way to tackle a diagnosis, but we can always better prepare. This webinar series is an opportunity to equip yourself with more knowledge, resources, and tools for those real-life, often unanticipated, scenarios.