Verve Therapeutics Announces Appointment of Nia Tatsis, Ph.D., and Jodie Morrison to its Board of Directors

BOSTON, June 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Verve Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering a new approach to the care of cardiovascular disease with single-course gene editing medicines, today announced the appointment of Nia Tatsis, Ph.D., and Jodie Morrison to its board of directors. Dr. Tatsis currently serves as executive vice president, chief regulatory and quality officer, of Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Ms. Morrison currently serves as chief executive officer and director of Q32 Bio Inc.

“We are thrilled to have Nia and Jodie join Verve’s board of directors, lending their decades of impressive experience leading and advising pharmaceutical and biotech companies through critical stages in drug development, manufacturing, and commercialization,” said Sekar Kathiresan, M.D., co-founder and chief executive officer of Verve Therapeutics. “We look forward to their valuable insights as we focus on pipeline execution with the continued advancement of the Heart-2 clinical trial of VERVE-102 targeting the PCSK9 gene, the clinical trial initiation of VERVE-201 targeting the ANGPTL3 gene, and continued progress on our earlier stage LPA program.”

“I deeply admire Verve’s mission to change the trajectory of how cardiovascular disease is treated around the world. Their goal of transforming the chronic care model to single-course gene editing medicines is an important step as we look to improve the lives of people with heart disease,” said Dr. Tatsis. “I look forward to working closely with the Verve leadership team and the board as the company continues to further progress its PCSK9, ANGPTL3, and LPA programs.”

“The opportunity to address the millions of people around the world with cardiovascular disease with a one-time treatment represents a truly important mission. I am excited to partner with the Verve team as they continue these efforts,” said Ms. Morrison. “Verve is well-positioned to become a distinguished leader in the cardiovascular space, supported by its impressive team and transformative science.”

Nia Tatsis, Ph.D., joined Vertex Pharmaceuticals in 2017 and serves as the company’s executive vice president, chief regulatory and quality officer. Prior to joining Vertex, Dr. Tatsis held positions of increasing responsibility at pharmaceutical companies including Sanofi, Pfizer, and Wyeth. Most recently, she served as vice president, head of global regulatory affairs, of the Sanofi Genzyme Business Unit. Dr. Tatsis currently serves as a member of the leadership council of the International Institute of New England. Previously, she served as a staff scientist and research fellow in immunology and vaccine development at the Wistar Institute. Dr. Tatsis received her Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from the University of Vermont and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship in immunology at Thomas Jefferson University. She holds a B.S. in biology from Temple University.

Jodie Morrison, chief executive officer and director of Q32 Bio Inc., brings two decades of biopharmaceutical leadership experience across private and public biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies from start-up to commercial stage. Ms. Morrison was previously chief executive officer of Cadent Therapeutics until its sale to Novartis in 2021. Ms. Morrison also served as interim chief executive officer of Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (executed its merger of equals with Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. in 2018), acting chief operating officer of Syntimmune, Inc. (acquired by Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.), and president and chief executive officer of Tokai Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where she oversaw the company’s successful initial public offering (IPO) in 2014. Ms. Morrison currently serves as an advisor to Atlas Venture, where she previously served as a venture partner, and as a member of the board at Rectify Pharma and of the board of managers at Life Science Cares. Ms. Morrison holds a B.A. in neuroscience from Mount Holyoke College.

About Verve Therapeutics 
Verve Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: VERV) is a clinical-stage genetic medicines company pioneering a new approach to the care of cardiovascular disease, potentially transforming treatment from chronic management to single-course gene editing medicines. The company’s lead programs – VERVE-101, VERVE-102, and VERVE-201 – target genes that have been extensively validated as targets for lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), a root cause of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). VERVE-101 and VERVE-102 are designed to permanently turn off the PCSK9 gene in the liver and are being developed initially for heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) and ultimately to treat patients with established ASCVD who continue to be impacted by high LDL-C levels. VERVE-201 is designed to permanently turn off the ANGPTL3 gene in the liver and is initially being developed for homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) and for refractory hypercholesterolemia where patients still have high LDL-C despite treatment with maximally-tolerated standard of care therapies. For more information, please visit www.VerveTx.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding the company’s research and development plans, and the potential advantages and therapeutic potential of the company’s programs. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained in this press release, including statements regarding the company’s strategy, future operations, future financial position, prospects, plans and objectives of management, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks associated with the company’s limited operating history; the company’s ability to timely submit and receive approvals of regulatory applications for its product candidates; advance its product candidates in clinical trials; initiate, enroll and complete its ongoing and future clinical trials on the timeline expected or at all; correctly estimate the potential patient population and/or market for the company’s product candidates; replicate in clinical trials positive results found in preclinical studies and/or earlier-stage clinical trials of VERVE-101, VERVE-102, and VERVE-201; advance the development of its product candidates under the timelines it anticipates in current and future clinical trials; obtain, maintain or protect intellectual property rights related to its product candidates; manage expenses; and raise the substantial additional capital needed to achieve its business objectives. For a discussion of other risks and uncertainties, and other important factors, any of which could cause the company’s actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see the “Risk Factors” section, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties and other important factors, in the company’s most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in other filings that the company makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the future. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the company’s views as of the date hereof and should not be relied upon as representing the company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof. The company anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause the company’s views to change. However, while the company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so.

Investor Contact
Jen Robinson
Verve Therapeutics, Inc.
jrobinson@vervetx.com

Media Contact
Ashlea Kosikowski
1AB
ashlea@1abmedia.com