CEO’s Corner

September 2021

It’s hard to imagine that autumn is upon us, but alas! As always, it’s been an exciting few months for us at Altasciences. From Intellia/Regeneron announcing the results of a trial demonstrating the effectiveness of gene editing technology to treat genetic diseases, for which Altasciences conducted the preclinical studies; to Alzamend Neuro’s announcement of its partnership with Altasciences to conduct a Phase I relative bioavailability study for a drug to treat dementia related to Alzheimer’s disease. Not to mention the news of our partnership with Emyria Limited, an Australian-based drug development and care delivery company, on one of the first over-the-counter CBD medicines in Australia.

As this news shows, we are working in new and exciting areas of medicine and scientific approaches. Early phase drug development has been an exciting place to be for a long time… I think back to when I first began my career in 1975 at a preclinical CRO in England, at the tail end of the wave from the 1950s to the 1970s that saw the discoveries of new antibiotics that are commonly used today. It reminds me that each new idea, discovery, trial, or success story from a sponsor, no matter how big or small, makes an impact — it’s another step forward. As a drug development partner, we are the critical link between research, the clinic, and commercial availability. How many lives have we extended or saved with the drugs we have worked on, either advancing them to the next stage or preventing unexpected adverse effects from causing harm?

I’m entering this next season with an assignment for us all: take those moments to celebrate each milestone, and to never lose sight of the difference we are making in the world.

I can’t wait to see what we do next, together.

Stay well,