Originally presented on August 6th, 2021.
Each month biotechnology, pharmaceutical and academic partners, large and small, working on treatments and a cure for myotonic dystrophy will sit down with our community to share their progress and answer your questions. Click here to learn more about Avidity Biosciences.
Avidity Biosciences recently announced they have received clearance from the FDA to proceed with the Phase 1/2 MARINA™ trial of AOC 1001 in adults with DM1. Click here to read the full press release.
Click here to find all our upcoming Meet the DM Drug Developers dates!
About the Presenters
Jae Kim, M.D. FACC.
Chief Medical Officer
Jae Kim joined Avidity in July 2020 and serves as Chief Medical Officer. Prior to joining Avidity, he served as Clinical Research Head, Chair of the Clinical Trial Review Board, and Vice President of Clinical Development at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals. Prior to that, he had global development roles at MyoKardia and Amgen. Dr. Kim received his Bachelor of Arts in Neurobiology Magna Cum Laude from Cornell University and his M.D. from Cornell University Medical College. He completed his post-doctoral fellowship in Genetics at Harvard Medical School and his clinical training in cardiovascular disease at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Kim is a board-certified cardiologist, was an NIH-funded Principal Investigator, and served on the Faculty of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Elizabeth ‘Lisa’ Ackermann, PhD
Neuromuscular Therapeutic Area Head and VP Clinical Development
Lisa joined Avidity in January 2020 and serves as the Neuromuscular Therapeutic Area Head and VP Clinical Development. Lisa brings extensive experience in both the research and development of RNA-targeted therapeutics and their application to rare diseases. She has held leadership positions in industry and patient advocacy groups including Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Otonomy, Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation, and TorreyPines Therapeutics. Over her 8-year tenure at Ionis, she led the development of Tegsedi® (an approved treatment for TTR Amyloidosis with Polyneuropathy) and several other rare disease programs. Lisa holds a Ph.D in biochemistry from UCSD and completed a NIH postdoctoral fellowship in Pharmacology at UCSD.
Alissa Peters
Director of Patient Advocacy and Corporate Affairs
Alissa joined Avidity in June 2020 and serves as the Director of Patient Advocacy and Corporate Affairs. Alissa has focused her career on supporting the development and commercialization of RNA-targeted therapeutics for rare diseases with high unmet needs. Prior to joining Avidity, Alissa served as Associate Director of Global Marketing helping bring Tegsedi® to patients living with TTR Amyloidosis with Polyneuropathy, a rare neuromuscular disease which ignited her passion to focus in this therapeutic area. At Avidity, Alissa actively partners with patient and advocacy communities to ensure their perspectives are central across all initiatives at the organization. Alissa is passionate about seeing people’s lives changed through the delivery of new therapeutics.