Halia Therapeutics Appoints Former Amgen Executive, Margit M. Janát-Amsbury, MD, Ph.D., as Chief Medical Officer

SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Halia Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company advancing innovative medicines to treat a broad range of diseases driven by chronic inflammation and neurodegeneration, today announced the appointment of Dr. Margit M. Janát-Amsbury, MD, Ph.D. as the company's Chief Medical Officer.

Dr. Janát-Amsbury is an experienced leader of cross-functional early development teams in oncology. With 20+ years of experience in academic and industry settings, she has guided numerous oncology assets through Phase 1/2 development and has extensive experience in translational research focused on drug delivery and disease modeling.

"We are delighted to welcome Dr. Janát-Amsbury to our team. Her significant expertise in successfully driving clinical development of oncology drug candidates will prove invaluable to the company as we continue to advance the development of our lead compound, HT-6184, for treating diseases driven by chronic inflammation" said Dr. David J. Bearss, President and Chief Executive Officer of Halia Therapeutics.

"I am honored to join Halia Therapeutics and work alongside this accomplished multi-disciplinary team of scientists and innovators. The company's unique approach of targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome to resolve chronic inflammation has enormous potential within multiple therapeutic areas.  I look forward to contributing to the company's mission and developing Halia's pipeline. " said Dr. Margit M. Janát-Amsbury.

Prior to joining Halia Therapeutics as Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Janát-Amsbury served as an Executive Medical Director in Early Oncology Development at Amgen and was also the Product Team Lead for Amgen's prostate portfolio. Before joining Amgen, she oversaw the development of multiple small molecules at Tolero Pharmaceuticals, which Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma acquired in 2017. Dr. Janát-Amsbury has held faculty appointments with the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, the Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, as well as the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Utah, where she also served as Co-Director of the Center for Nanomedicine. Dr. Janát-Amsbury received her MD and Ph.D. from the Albertus Magnus University in Cologne, Germany.

Activation of NLRP3 triggers the release of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18 and induces a lytic cell death process called pyroptosis. These processes lead to chronic inflammation. Halia's therapeutic inhibition of NLRP3 prevents the formation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and promotes its disassembly once formed, thereby inhibiting the production and release of IL-1β and IL-18. Persistent activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome is thought to drive the onset and progression of many conditions, including fibrotic, dermatological, and rheumatological diseases. Significant neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis are also driven by NLRP3 activation.

Halia Therapeutics is discovering and developing a pipeline of novel therapeutics to improve the lives of patients with chronic inflammatory disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, with its lead programs targeting NEK7 and LRRK2. The company is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more info, visit www.haliatherapeutics.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

Company Contact:
Jeff Burton
[email protected]
+1.385.355.4315

Media Contact:
Ignacio Guerrero-Ros, Ph.D.
Russo Partners, LLC
+1 (646) 942-5604
[email protected]

SOURCE Halia Therapeutics