Rewind Therapeutics appoints Anja Harmeier, PhD, MBA, as Chief Executive Officer

LEUVEN, Belgium, Sept. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Rewind Therapeutics ("Rewind"), a private Belgian biotech company developing innovative first-in-class remyelinating therapies for multiple sclerosis and other myelin-related diseases, announces the appointment of Anja Harmeier, PhD, MBA, as Chief Executive Officer.

Dr. Harmeier is an experienced drug developer, scientist and entrepreneur in neuroscience and rare diseases. She brings extensive R&D and operational capabilities complemented by a strong track record in company development and venture capital.

Dr. Harmeier joins Rewind from Pureos Bioventures where, as Partner, she was responsible for identifying, evaluating and managing investments in innovative life sciences companies in the US and Europe including Vico Therapeutics, Corlieve Therapeutics (acquired by UniQure) and River Renal 2/3, as well as fund raising.

Prior to Pureos, Dr. Harmeier held several positions at F. Hoffman-La Roche ("Roche"). Initially she joined the Neuroscience R&D group working in positions of increasing seniority including Franchise and senior project leader at Rare Diseases. In this role she focused on the development of multiple projects from discovery to Phase II as well as identifying and in-licensing innovative projects. Since 2016 she was an Investment Director at the Roche Venture Fund, sourcing, leading and managing global investments in various disease areas and developmental stages. She was also on the Board of Directors at several of the Fund's portfolio companies, including, Vivet Therapeutics (which Pfizer has an option to acquire), Entrada and NMD Pharma.

Dr Harmeier holds a PhD in Neuroscience/ Biochemistry from the Institute of Biochemistry at Freie Universität Berlin and an MBA from Instituto de Empresa (ie) Madrid.

Jim Van heusden, Executive Chairman, commented "We are delighted to welcome Anja to the team. Her expertise in neuroscience drug discovery and development coupled with her experience in company development and financing will be extremely valuable to Rewind as we advance our novel candidates towards clinical development in the coming years. We look forward to the insights, leadership skills and enthusiasm she will bring to drive the development of our pipeline of potential first-in-class remyelinating therapies for patients with multiple sclerosis and other myelin-related diseases."

Dr. Anja Harmeier added: "I am excited to be working with the team at Rewind. The Company has made significant progress in pioneering an emerging and highly innovative area of science, which clearly has the potential to deliver transformative remyelinating therapies to patients suffering from devastating and debilitating diseases. I am confident that Rewind can become a leading company in this space and look forward to being part in shaping and achieving its ambitions."

For further information, please contact:

Rewind Therapeutics:

Anja Harmeier, PhD, MBA, Chief Executive Officer
[email protected] 

Jim Van heusden, PhD, Executive Chairman
[email protected]

MEDiSTRAVA Consulting:

Mark Swallow/David Dible/Evelyn McCormack
+44 20 7638 9571
[email protected]

About Rewind Therapeutics

Rewind Therapeutics is developing first-in-class remyelinating therapies for myelin-related diseases and aims to bring them into fast-track clinical development.

Myelin-related diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, are those where the myelin sheath surrounding nerves is damaged leading to deficient nerve transmission that may affect multiple functions, including sensation, cognition and movement, among others. The causes of damage may be genetic, a result of infectious or autoimmune disease or from exposure to toxic agents or other forms of brain injury. There is no cure for demyelinating diseases.

The Company was founded by KU Leuven's Centre for Drug Design and Discovery (CD3) and Axxam S.p.A. (Milano, Italy), a leading provider of integrated discovery services for the Life Sciences. Rewind Therapeutics works in close collaboration with both organisations and a world-class academic network to advance its discovery and development activities.

Rewind Therapeutics is backed by life science investors Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, M Ventures and the Flemish investment company PMV, together with CD3 and KU Leuven Gemma Frisius Fonds.

For more information, please go to rewindtherapeutics.com 

SOURCE Rewind Therapeutics