John LaMattina, PhD
WOBURN, MASSACHUSSETTS — Frequency Therapeutics, a biotech firm developing drugs to re-create sensory cells in the inner ear, announced the appointment of John LaMattina, PhD, as a member of its Scientific Advisory Board and Senior Advisor to the CEO.
According to the company’s press release, Dr. LaMattina is the former President of Pfizer Gobal Research and Development and Senior Vice President of Pfizer, Inc. During his tenure at Pfizer, the company discovered and developed many innovative and highly successful new drugs, including: Zoloft, Chantix, Lyrica, and many others.
“As a highly-regarded industry veteran, John brings us a wealth of knowledge and expertise. John has already begun to help us accelerate the development of our pipeline of product candidates for hearing restoration.” –David Lucchino, President & CEO
Over the years, LaMattina has authored a number of scientific publications and currently serves on the board of advisors for PureTech Health.
Treating Noise Induced Hearing Loss
Frequency Therapeutics is developing innovative progenitor cell activation (PCA) therapies, in order to temporarily activate cellular regeneration at specific sites in the body. The initial focus for the company will be treatment for noise induced hearing loss.
The therapy currently under development will use a proprietary combination of the company’s small-molecule drugs to cause inner ear progenitor cells to multiply and create new hair cells. According to the company, using small molecules allows the therapy to be easily administered by direct injection into the middle ear, where it will cross the round window membrane and enter the cochlea.
The company hopes to begin human clinical trials within the next 18 months in patients with hearing loss.
Using the clinically established procedure for intratympanic injections, commonly performed at ENT offices for steroid injections, the small molecules will be injected in a slow release gel into the middle ear.
Beyond hearing loss, the company claims their PCA platform has many other potential uses, including possible applications for skin, ocular and gastrointestinal diseases.
Source: Frequency Therapeutics
