The CEO of Athira, previously referred to as M3 Biotechnology, is Leen Kawas, once a PhD student at Washington State whose 2011 doctoral dissertation provided figures for this laden 2011 article in JPET, which made a correction in 2014. Previously this year, as STAT reported, Kawas was forced to take a leave of absence from the company over concerns that she modified images in a number of documents. And there has been other examination of the company.
Co-founded with Richard Kayne, a popular Los Angeles-based property supervisor who was an early Athira financier, Propel Bio Partners likewise has assistance from several other Athira investors. Amongst them: John Fluke Jr., who stays on Athira’s board as the publicly traded company pursues treatments for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s illness.
Kawas co-founded Athira (originally M3 Biotechnology) in 2011. Named Startup CEO of the Year at the 2019 GeekWire Awards, she took Athira public in 2020, as the first female to lead a company to an IPO in Washington state in more than two decades. Shares of Athira fell by more than 50% in June 2021 after Kawas was initially placed on leave from Athira as questions emerged about her research study at Washington State University. Athira stock continues to trade at half its previous peak.
Athira Pharma is circling around the wagons and advising shareholders to reject require management change. This comes one week after financier Richard Kayne required a management change in order to drive the advancement and commercialization of the company’s lead Alzheimer’s illness property, ATH-1017 (fosgonimeton). Mark Litton was tapped to act as CEO of Athira last fall following the ouster of Leen Kawas after an examination exposed that she altered images in her 2011 doctoral dissertation and in at least four research study papers that she co-authored while a college student at Washington State University. In the letter, Kayne said Litton is not fit for the task.
Co-founder and handling basic partner of Propel Bio Partner, a life science investment firm focused on supporting the very best talent and most innovative technologies. previously Co-founder of Athira Pharma and co-inventor of its lead drug prospect ATH-1017. Inventor of several of the ingenious drug prospects in Athira’s pipeline. Led the technological and monetary growth of Athira, raising around $400M and taking the company through it public offering.
Leen Kawas , the Seattle biotech officer who resigned as CEO of Athira Pharma after an examination found she had actually modified doctoral research images that assisted to form the preliminary basis for the company, re-emerged Friday as co-founder and managing general partner of a brand-new investment firm called Propel Bio Partners LP.
The board is fielding its own slate of candidates, that includes Joseph Edelman, the founder, CEO and portfolio supervisor of Perceptive Advisors; John M. Fluke, Jr., the head of the investment firm Fluke Capital Management; and Grant Pickering, CEO of Vaxcyte, Inc. “The company’s director nominees have the best abilities and experience required to support Athira at this crucial time,” the board said. “Our greatest top priority is advancing our lead drug prospect, fosgonimeton, through medical trials and securing regulative approval for the treatment of Alzheimer’s illness (AD), which affects as numerous as 35 million individuals worldwide. Under the present management group, Athira is carrying out well and providing against our target turning points.