On January 3, 2023 Histogen Inc. (NASDAQ: HSTO), a clinical-stage therapeutics company focused on developing its pan-caspase and caspase selective inhibitors as treatments for infectious and inflammatory diseases and has a pipeline of restorative therapeutics for orthopedic indications, reported the appointment of Alfred P. Spada Ph.D. as Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer (Press release, Conatus Pharmaceuticals, JAN 3, 2023, View Source [SID1234625727]).
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We are very excited about Dr. Spada joining our management team. Dr. Spada is a world expert in both the biology of apoptosis and the chemistry of designing potent caspase inhibitors," said Steven J. Mento Ph.D., Executive Chairman and Interim President and Chief Executive Officer. "He is an excellent fit for Histogen’s new direction which is focused on the development of our caspase inhibitors as innovative treatments for infectious and inflammatory diseases. His hiring is particularly timely as we move forward with our planning for the clinical trial of emricasan as a treatment for bacterial skin infections."
Alfred P. Spada, Ph. D. is a seasoned veteran of pharmaceutical discovery and development with over 35 years of combined experience in large Pharma and Biotech. Dr. Spada most recently served as President and CEO of Aya Biosciences focused on the discovery and development of novel therapies for the treatment of severe neuropsychiatric disorders where he identified the company’s orally active clinical candidate and completed necessary IND-enabling studies to position the asset for clinical evaluation. Prior to joining Aya Biosciences, Dr. Spada was co-founder , EVP of R&D and CSO of Conatus Pharmaceuticals until its merger with Histogen in May 2020. At Conatus, Dr. Spada was responsible for the management of all preclinical and safety activities and assisted in the generation of IND packages and presentations to support the company’s clinical assets. Prior to Conatus, Dr. Spada was the VP of Preclinical and Pharmaceutical Development at Idun Pharmaceuticals until its acquisition by Pfizer in 2005 and prior to Idun, the Director of Chemistry in the United States for Rhone-Poulenc Rorer and Aventis Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Spada received his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from MIT and conducted post-doctoral studies at Yale. Dr. Spada holds a BS in chemistry from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
"Histogen’s focus on developing potential first-in-class pan-caspase and caspase selective inhibitors focused on treatments for infectious and inflammatory diseases is perfectly aligned with my scientific and industry expertise," said Dr. Spada. "I am excited to join the Histogen team at this pivotal time and look forward to working with them to advance the company’s caspase pipeline through clinical development."