AstronauTx appoints Jane Rhodes as CEO as part of expanding senior team

UCLB spinout AstronauTx Ltd, a biotechnology company developing novel treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, has appointed Dr Jane Rhodes as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and member of the Board.

Meanwhile, Magnus Ivarsson joins as Chief Translation and Early Development Officer.

Jane is an accomplished leader with 25 years of experience in the biotech industry. She was previously President and Chief Business Officer at Verge Genomics, and has held a variety of operational leadership roles in R&D, Corporate Strategy, Innovation and Business Development, at Biogen and Forma Therapeutics.

A neuroscientist by training, Jane began her career in the field of discovery research and worked on novel therapies for Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), stroke and multiple sclerosis (MS). She has contributed to the development and launch of several marketed products for neurological indications over the span of her career.

She co-founded Qr8 Health, a digital health company, and currently serves as Chair of the Board of Pheno Therapeutics and as a Non-Executive Director at Turbine AI. Jane holds an undergraduate degree in Pharmacology and Physiology, and has a Ph.D. in Neurophysiology, both from the University of Manchester, and a Masters in Business Administration from the Babson College F.W. Olin School of Business.

UCLB’s Director of BioPharm, Dr Richard Fagan said: “We welcome this exciting appointment as AstronauTx continues to develop novel treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, based on amplifying the brain’s own physiological protective mechanisms. Jane’s prestigious experience will prove to be a huge asset going forward.”

Tim Edwards, Chairman of the Board, AstronauTx, said: “Jane has a strong track record of company formation, successful equity financing and forging large enabling Pharma partnerships, all of which will be invaluable in our next phase of growth. We look forward to working alongside her, with Magnus and the rest of the Leadership team, as AstronauTx progresses its pre-clinical programmes. I would like to thank Ruth McKernan and David Reynolds for the tremendous contribution they have made to creating the Company and setting us on this exciting development pathway.”

Jane Rhodes, Chief Executive Officer, AstronauTx commented: “The AstronauTx team have built an exciting early-stage portfolio targeting unique and orthogonal approaches to neurodegenerative disease. The Company is backed by a strong syndicate of investors and is poised for growth. I am thrilled to be joining the team to advance new therapies with such huge potential benefit to the aging population, and to be bringing Magnus on board with his uniquely relevant expertise, as we advance several programs into the clinic.”

Magnus is a seasoned drug developer with more than 20 years of experience in the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. He has held a range of senior research leadership roles, with responsibilities ranging from early discovery, translation and early clinical development for both small molecules and biologics with a focus on sleep, EEG and neurodegeneration.