Provention Bio, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to sourcing, developing and commercializing novel therapeutics aimed at intercepting and preventing immune-mediated disease, today announced the appointment of Eleanor "Leni" Ramos, MD, to the role of Chief Medical and Chief Operating Officer. With more than 20 years' biopharmaceutical experience, Dr. Ramos joins Provention alongside co-founders, Ashleigh Palmer and Francisco Leon, MD, Ph.D., as the company seeks to build a pipeline of novel therapeutics and cutting-edge solutions to intercept chronic autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
Ashleigh Palmer, co-founder and CEO of Provention, stated, "Adding a biopharmaceutical executive of Leni's caliber so soon after our founding financing is a tremendous achievement for Provention. Her significant clinical experience and expertise in autoimmunity, inflammation, organ transplant rejection, and the treatment of acute and chronic viral infections will help fulfill our vision of pre-empting, slowing and reversing the progression of immune-mediated disease. Importantly her tenure leading the Clinical Trials Group at the Immune Tolerance Network, a collaborative network for clinical research funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to accelerate clinical development of immune tolerance therapies, is very relevant to Provention as we seek to rapidly advance our pipeline of in-licensed assets targeting Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, emerging viral infections, and the prevention of type 1 diabetes (T1D)."
Dr. Ramos remarked, "Having seen and treated patients who have suffered the irreversible sequelae of chronic immune and inflammatory disorders, I'm very excited to be involved in the paradigm-shifting vision of Provention, which seeks to identify and prevent the underlying cause or trigger of these diseases by intervening before the targeted disease begins, re-appears or progresses. I welcome the opportunity to join Ashleigh and Francisco and transform this profound vision into a world class clinical development company."
Dr. Ramos joins Provention after most recently serving as a Chief Medical Officer of Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT), a publicly-traded biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing novel therapeutics to treat blood-based and hypoxemic pulmonary disorders. During her tenure at GBT, Dr. Ramos led the streamlined design of a clinical trial in sickle cell disease that demonstrated proof of concept six months after study initiation, which helped facilitate the company's $138 million initial public offering.
Prior to GBT, Dr. Ramos was the Chief Medical Officer of Theraclone Sciences, a therapeutic antibody discovery and development company, where she oversaw the development of clinical programs in viral diseases including severe influenza. Before joining Theraclone Sciences, Dr. Ramos served as Chief Medical Officer at ZymoGenetics, overseeing its clinical portfolio across infectious diseases/hepatitis C, immunology/lupus nephritis, oncology and hemostasis. Promising data from the hepatitis C program ultimately led to the company's acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb for $885 million. Dr. Ramos' career is further highlighted by executive and director-level positions at leading pharmaceutical companies including Roche Global Development and Bristol-Myers Squibb, where she supported and led the development of small molecule (mycophenolate mofetil/CellCept) and protein therapeutics (belatacept/Nulojix) in the prevention and treatment of organ transplant rejection.
Francisco Leon, MD, Ph.D., scientific co-founder of Provention, said, "Leni's translational research expertise in immune tolerance is a perfect fit for Provention's vision to intercept and prevent immune disorders. In addition, her proven medical leadership in complex, cutting-edge, therapeutic areas will inspire and enable the Provention team to achieve our ambitious goals."
Dr. Ramos is currently a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of EpiVax Oncology, a private biotechnology company focused on developing personalized cancer vaccines, and a member of the Board of Directors of ASK, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing awareness of lung cancer in women, particularly those of Asian descent. She holds a medical degree and undergraduate degree from Tufts University with advanced training in the subspecialty of nephrology with a focus on transplantation immunology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School.
About Provention Bio, Inc.
Provention Bio, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to sourcing, developing and commercializing novel therapeutics and cutting-edge solutions to intercept and prevent immune-mediated disease. Our "predict and prevent" therapeutic model is focused on developing drugs that intervene before the targeted disease begins, re-appears or progresses. This innovative approach offers the potential to reduce the high morbidity, mortality, patient suffering, and escalating costs of chronic autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, such as type 1 diabetes (T1D), Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and emerging viruses. For more information on Provention Bio, Inc. please visit www.proventionbio.com.
