SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- E-Scape Bio, a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapies to treat genetic forms of neurodegenerative diseases, has expanded its senior management team with the appointment of Carrolee Barlow, M.D., Ph.D., as chief medical officer, effective today. Dr. Barlow is a renowned expert in neuroscience and neurodegeneration, the treatment of rare and neurological diseases, and the clinical development of new therapies. 

Dr. Barlow will play a central role in developing E-Scape's small-molecule drugs targeting the genetic drivers of neurodegenerative diseases. E-Scape's lead program, an S1P5 receptor agonist for neuronopathic lysosomal storage disorders, will enter clinical development in 2019. With the additional expertise and support from Dr. Barlow, E-Scape anticipates that its second program, an LRRK2 inhibitor for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, will enter clinical development in 2020.

Dr. Barlow most recently served as CEO of the Parkinson's Institute and Clinical Center, an independent nonprofit organization providing research, clinical trials and patient care for Parkinson's and related disorders. She led all aspects of basic research, clinical research and clinical care, as well as partnerships with biotech and pharmaceutical companies. E-Scape also recently acquired certain research assets from the Parkinson's Institute for an undisclosed sum. The research assets will accelerate internal discovery and research efforts at E-Scape.

"It is a privilege to have Carrolee join our effort at E-Scape as we prepare our most advanced drug candidate for clinical trials and progress our pipeline candidates for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease," said Julie Anne Smith, president and chief executive officer of E-Scape Bio. "Carrolee has an exceptional track record within the biopharmaceutical industry and special expertise in the complex neurodegenerative diseases that we are dedicated to treating at E-Scape."

Prior to joining the Parkinson's Institute, Dr. Barlow was consultant to multiple biotechnology companies and served as acting chief medical officer at Amicus Therapeutics. Previously, she was chief medical officer and chief scientific officer of BrainCells Inc., which she co-founded to develop new treatment approaches for neurological and psychiatric disease. She also led the stroke and neurodegeneration therapeutic areas at Merck Research Laboratories. Earlier in her career, Dr. Barlow was a professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, where her contributions helped propel the nascent field of neurogenomics. She holds an M.D. from the University of Utah and earned a Ph.D. in molecular and developmental biology at the Karolinska Medical Nobel Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. (Read full bio)

About E-Scape Bio
E-Scape Bio is a biopharmaceutical company developing novel small-molecule therapeutics for patients with inherited forms of neurodegenerative diseases. The company's drug development pipeline includes small molecules targeting known genetic drivers of CNS disorders including an S1P5 agonist for the treatment of CNS lysosomal storage disorders, a Parkinson's disease program targeting LRRK2, and an Alzheimer's disease program targeting ApoE4. For additional information, please visit www.e-scapebio.com.

SOURCE E-Scape Bio

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