Synspira Therapeutics Announces Appointment of Robert Gallotto as President and Chief Executive Officer

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., March 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Synspira Therapeutics today announced the appointment of Robert Gallotto as President and Chief Executive Officer; he will also join the Board of Directors. Mr. Gallotto will succeed Shenda Baker, Ph.D., who served as interim Chief Executive Officer. Synspira is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to significantly improving the lives of people with cystic fibrosis and other rare diseases. Its lead product, SNSP113, targets the key drivers of pulmonary decline in cystic fibrosis and other progressive pulmonary diseases, including life-threatening pulmonary infections.

"Bob is an accomplished pharmaceutical executive, with a 30-year record of success building companies focused in cystic fibrosis and other rare diseases. His experience in development, commercialization, fundraising and driving strategic partnerships uniquely fits the needs of Synspira. Bob is a passionate patient advocate and has been involved with several successful collaborations with the CF Foundation," said William Wiesmann, MD, Chairman of the Board of Synspira. "We are grateful to Dr. Baker for her dedication, as she has played a critical role in transforming the company through the Phase 1 study of SNSP113."

Most recently, Mr. Gallotto was Co-founder of Alcresta Therapeutics and Allena Pharmaceuticals. As President of Alcresta, he built the company from an idea to the successful launch of its first product, RELiZORB, a novel medical device awarded the 2016 Medical Device Design Excellence Gold Medal Award. Previously, Mr. Gallotto served as Chief Business Officer of Alnara Pharmaceuticals, where he led the company's acquisition by Eli Lilly and Company. He was also Vice President of strategic planning, business and commercial development for Altus Pharmaceuticals, helping to lead the development of a portfolio of clinical candidates. Before joining Altus, Mr. Gallotto held various positions in sales and marketing, business development and product management at Biogen, Ares-Serono, Sage BioPharma and The Upjohn Company. Mr. Gallotto holds a B.S. in biology from Stonehill College.

"I am very pleased to join Synspira at this very exciting time, as we build a company focused on developing transformative products for people with cystic fibrosis and other rare diseases, starting with our lead program, SNSP113," said Mr. Gallotto. "SNSP113 represents a potentially new class of therapies, designed to target the underlying cascade of events that lead to progressive pulmonary disease or other life-threatening pulmonary conditions. I look forward to working with the Synspira team and investors, as well as our partners and the patient community, in order to deliver on the promise of SNSP113 -- to change the course of life-threatening progressive pulmonary diseases."

About SNSP113
The company's lead product, SNSP113, is a first-in-class inhaled glycochemistry-based therapeutic with a broad spectrum mechanism of action intended to target the underlying cascade of events that lead to progressive pulmonary disease or other life-threatening pulmonary conditions, such as nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM), Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC), Pseudomonas aeruginosa or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). SNSP113 is designed to normalize mucin viscosity and improve mucus transport to increase airway clearance. SNSP113 disrupts the cohesion of bacterial biofilms and interacts with the cell walls of invading bacteria to increase their permeability, reduce their viability and potentiate the efficacy of antibiotics. These actions of SNSP113 lead to a reduction in the inflammatory cascade of neutrophils that can lead to pulmonary damage and fibrosis. Progressive pulmonary disease leads to overwhelming symptoms, impacts quality of life (QoL) and results in debilitating progressive lung decline. Synspira is expected to initiate SNSP113 Phase 2 trials in 2019. 

About Synspira
Synspira Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to significantly improving the lives of people with cystic fibrosis and other rare diseases, such as primary ciliary dyskinesia and bronchiectasis, where there is a high unmet treatment need. Synspira is a privately held company headquartered in Framingham, MA. The company's lead product, SNSP113, is a first-in-class inhaled glycochemistry-based therapeutic with a broad spectrum mechanism of action designed to target the underlying cascade of events that lead to progressive pulmonary disease or other life-threatening pulmonary conditions. At Synspira we are inspired by the patients we serve and are driven to make a difference.

SOURCE Synspira Therapeutics