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WATERTOWN, Mass. – Vigil Neuroscience, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIGL), a biotech company focused on neurodegenerative diseases, today announced the appointment of Petra Kaufmann, M.D., as its new Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Kaufmann, an experienced biotech executive, takes over from Christopher J. Silber, M.D., bringing her expertise in neurological and rare diseases to the company’s leadership.
Dr. Kaufmann joins Vigil Neuroscience with a distinguished background, including her previous role as Chief Medical Officer at Affinia Therapeutics, where she led medical, clinical, patient advocacy, and regulatory strategy.
Her tenure at Novartis (LON:) (SIX:) Gene Therapies as Senior Vice President, Clinical Development, Translational Medicine & Analytics, saw her spearhead global clinical development strategies, including the global approvals of Zolgensma®. Her career also includes positions at AveXis and the National Institutes of Health.
In her new role at Vigil, Dr. Kaufmann will oversee the advancement of the company’s key drug candidates, iluzanebart and VG-3927, which are aimed at treating rare and common neurological diseases respectively. Iluzanebart is currently in clinical development for adult-onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia (ALSP), while VG-3927 is being developed to address Alzheimer’s disease in genetically defined subpopulations.
Upon joining Vigil Neuroscience, Dr. Kaufmann was granted an inducement stock option to purchase 330,000 shares of common stock at a price of $3.14 per share, the closing price on the grant date. This stock option will vest over four years, contingent on her continued employment with the company.
Vigil Neuroscience is dedicated to developing therapies by targeting microglia, the brain’s immune cells, to combat neurodegenerative diseases. The company’s approach involves leveraging modern neuroscience drug development across various therapeutic modalities.
The information in this article is based on a press release statement and reflects the company’s current expectations regarding its clinical progress and milestones. It should be noted that the development of drug candidates involves significant risks and uncertainties, and there is no assurance that Vigil Neuroscience’s research activities will result in approved treatments.
Vigil Neuroscience has not provided any additional comments on the potential impact of Dr. Kaufmann’s appointment on its operations or clinical progress. The company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) can be consulted for further details on the risks and uncertainties associated with its product candidates.
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