–  Pharma development executive brings extensive experience as Jnana prepares to advance lead program for PKU into clinical development –

Boston, Mass., January 20, 2021 – Jnana Therapeutics, a biotechnology company utilizing its next generation chemoproteomic platform to target well-validated but hard-to-drug targets, today announced the appointment of John Throup, Ph.D. as Senior Vice President, Head of Development.

“John is joining Jnana at a pivotal inflection point for the company,” said Joel Barrish, Ph.D., co-founder, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Jnana Therapeutics. “His leadership and expertise will be critical as we prepare to advance our lead program for PKU into clinical development and progress a promising pipeline of programs addressing hard-to-drug targets for immune-mediated diseases and oncology.”

Dr. Throup joins Jnana from Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) where he was most recently Vice President and Development Lead responsible for leading the development of assets in the Immunology pipeline across early and late development. Most recently, Dr. Throup led the development of the TYK2 inhibitor deucravacitinib from preclinical to NDA and MAA submission. Prior to his time at BMS, Dr. Throup spent 15 years at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in operational and strategic leadership roles across the R&D organization. Dr. Throup received his Ph.D. in molecular microbiology from the University of Nottingham, UK.

“This is an exciting time to be joining Jnana. I look forward to advancing potential first-in-class therapeutics derived from Jnana’s proprietary, high-throughput enabled RAPID platform, including their lead PKU program, into clinical development and ultimately to patients,” said Dr. Throup.

About PKU

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an inherited metabolic disorder caused by a deficiency of the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH). This enzyme is required for the breakdown of phenylalanine (Phe), an amino acid found in all protein-containing foods. When PAH is deficient or defective, Phe accumulates to abnormally high levels in the blood. If left untreated, these toxic levels of Phe in the blood can result in progressive and severe neurological impairment and neuropsychological complications. The SLC transporter SLC6A19 is responsible for kidney reabsorption of Phe back into the bloodstream, and the inhibition of SLC6A19 offers a novel, oral approach for the treatment of PKU.

About Jnana Therapeutics

Jnana Therapeutics is a biotechnology company utilizing their RAPID platform to address well-validated but hard-to-drug targets, including the solute carrier (SLC) family of metabolite transporters. Jnana is focused on developing best-in-class therapies to treat a wide range of diseases, including rare diseases, immune-mediated diseases and cancer. Headquartered in Boston, Jnana is founded by world-renowned scientists and backed by leading life science investors. For more information, please visit www.jnanatx.com and follow us on Twitter and on LinkedIn.

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Kathryn Morris
The Yates Network
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