Altesa BioSciences announces Katharine Knobil, M.D. as Chief Medical Officer

Former GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) CMO brings more than 25 years of experience in clinical development and commercialization of blockbuster medicines

COLLEGE PARK, Ga., May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Altesa BioSciences, Inc., a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing new treatments for viral infections in vulnerable populations, today announced the appointment of Katharine Knobil, M.D. as its Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Knobil, who previously served as the Chief Medical Officer of GSK, brings more than 25 years of experience in pharmaceutical and biotechnology research and development resulting in regulatory approval and launch of blockbuster medicines.

"We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Knobil to Altesa, where she will lead the advanced clinical development of vapendavir for the treatment rhinovirus infections in people living with COPD," said Dr. Brett Giroir, CEO of Altesa BioSciences and former U.S. Asst. Sec. for Health and former Acting FDA Commissioner. "Kate's clinical and drug development expertise is unsurpassed, and her dedication to treating COPD patients is ideal to ensure  Altesa achieves our objective of treating a major underlying cause of COPD exacerbations and minimizing the need for chronic, highly costly, immune suppressive therapies."

"I am excited to join the Altesa team at this key developmental stage of vapendavir and look forward to enabling the company to achieve its mission," said Dr. Knobil. "Our shared goal is to prevent both acute and chronic complications of viral infections in vulnerable populations.  Having designed and led large trials of patients with COPD, I am convinced that addressing an important root cause of COPD exacerbations – viral infections - has the potential to provide significant benefit to patients and free them from the fear that merely catching a cold could have dire health consequences."

As the Chief Medical Officer at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Dr. Knobil held global responsibility for Medical Governance across the pharmaceutical, vaccines, and consumer business units. Her responsibilities also included the generation of evidence to support the value for patients, healthcare providers, and payers.   While at GSK, prior to her becoming CMO, she successfully directed the development of multiple treatments for asthma and COPD -- including the approval and lthe launchof Advair for COPD.

Following GSK, Dr. Knobil went on to serve as Chief Medical Officer and Head of Research and Development at Kaleido Biosciences, and then the first CMO at Agilent Technologies. -- bringing the voice of patients into strategy and decision-making while establishing an industry-leading Medical Affairs group. Dr. Knobil currently sits on the boards of Marker Therapeutics, Pliant Therapeutics, Nimbus Therapeutics, KorroBio and Infinant Health. She was previously on the board of Arena Pharmaceuticals which was acquired by Pfizer in 2022.

More than 16.4 million Americans, or 6.6% of U.S. adults, suffer with COPD, which is now among the leading causes of death in the US and globally.  Those with limited financial resources, especially those in urban and rural areas, are often diagnosed late, which is associated with worse overall outcomes.

About Vapendavir

Vapendavir, taken orally in pill form, is an antiviral medicine with potent activity against 97% of rhinoviruses and other respiratory enteroviruses.  It prevents the virus from entering human cells as well as preventing it from reproducing. Vapendavir is currently in advanced clinical trials for the treatment of rhinovirus infections in people living with COPD.  Vapendavir has a similar mechanism of action to the FDA approved HIV capsid inhibitor, lenacapavir marketed by Gilead Sciences

About Altesa BioSciences, Inc.

Altesa BioSciences is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company dedicated to developing new treatments for age-old threats to human health: high-consequence viral infections. These infections are particularly severe in vulnerable people, including those with chronic health conditions, like lung diseases, as well as the elderly and many people in underserved communities.  

For more information on Altesa BioSciences and its clinical programs, please visit www.altesa.com 

Media Contact: 
[Name] Mia Heck
[Title] Spokesperson
Altesa BioSciences, Inc. 
[Email] [email protected]
[Phone Number] 210.284.0388

SOURCE Altesa Biosciences Inc.