Mogrify ‘catapults’ ex-GSK ace into CSO role
With decades of industry experience in translating both conventional and advanced therapeutic medicines, Dr Appleby will lead advancement of the company’s therapeutic programmes in areas including otology, ophthalmology and diabetes toward and into clinical development.
Dr Appleby is an accomplished medicines developer, having operated in all phases of therapeutic development from discovery to commercial launch. He joins Mogrify from the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, where he was Executive Director and Chief Scientific Officer and led the R & D group focused on ATMP manufacturing processes and analytical development for five years.
Prior to this, Dr Appleby was CSO for Cell and Gene Therapy in GSK’s Rare Diseases Unit, where he led the team that developed StrimvelisTM, the multi-award-winning and first autologous paediatric CD34+ stem cell gene therapy to be approved for commercial use.
He also led for 2 years the ARSA gene therapy, which was later out-licensed to Orchard Therapeutics and recently approved as LenmeldyTM.
Dr Appleby previously held the position of Director and Portfolio Manager at the GSK Centre of Excellence for External Drug Development, where he discovered, in-licensed, and developed new technologies and assets across a broad range of therapeutic areas.
He says: “Mogrify’s proprietary platform for identifying and optimising transcription factor combinations capable of directly reprogramming cell function in vivo has the potential to address many diseases. Our multi-talented team has done incredible work in leveraging the technology to bring forward a portfolio of potentially transformative medicines.”
CEO Dr Darrin Disley, commented: “We are thrilled to welcome Jon to the Mogrify Executive Team. Following a comprehensive global search that considered experienced medicine makers from across the cell and gene therapy paradigm, Jon’s particular expertise in advancing innovative and first-in-class medicines for patients with limited treatment options makes him the ideal candidate for leading Mogrify’s pipeline of novel in vivo reprogramming therapies through pre-clinical translation and into first in-human studies.”
