Belgium – 19 December 2019 – Syndesi Therapeutics SA, a clinical stage biotechnology company developing novel modulators of the synaptic vesicle protein SV2A for the treatment of cognitive impairment, today announced Torsten Madsen MD, PhD has joined its management team as Chief Medical Officer.
Dr. Madsen brings over 12 years’ industry experience in CNS drug development in pharma/biotech. As a senior leader at Lundbeck in Denmark and the US he guided clinical development and registration of the anti-depressant vortioxetine. More recently, he has held senior roles at the CNS focused biotech companies Naurex and Aptinyx. Dr. Madsen earned his MD and a PhD from Copenhagen University, doing clinical training in psychiatry and general medicine and holding a postdoc position at Yale, conducting basic research in neural and synaptic plasticity.
Commenting on the appointment, Jonathan Savidge, CEO of Syndesi, said, “I’m delighted to welcome Torsten to the Syndesi team at an exciting time for the development of our lead molecule SDI-118. Torsten brings a wealth of experience specifically in CNS drug development and this will be invaluable to the company as we plan the next phases of clinical development for SDI-118.”
On his appointment as CMO, Torsten Madsen said, “It’s very exciting to be joining Syndesi to work on a novel synaptic mechanism with potential for broad applicability for treatment of cognitive impairment. I look forward to working with the Syndesi management team to progress SDI-118 into the next stage of clinical development to fully explore its potential to improve symptoms of cognitive impairment across a range of indications.”
About Syndesi Therapeutics
Syndesi Therapeutics was established to develop a series of novel, pro-cognitive small molecule SV2A modulators licensed from UCB. Syndesi is investigating the potential of these molecules to improve cognition in diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias, as well other conditions such as major depression and cognitive impairment
associated with schizophrenia. The lead molecule, SDI-118, has successfully completed a First-in-Human Phase I study which demonstrated target engagement with PET imaging. The company has raised a total €17M in Series A funding from a syndicate of Belgium and international investors and has been awarded a total of up to €3.2 M in non-dilutive funding from the Walloon Region to support the development of the lead molecule SDI-118.
For more information please visit www.syndesitherapeutics.com.