CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 18, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Voyager Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VYGR), a clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on developing life-changing treatments for severe neurological diseases announced today the appointment of Matthew P. Ottmer as chief operating officer. Mr. Ottmer brings to Voyager more than 18 years of biotechnology industry experience, including executive leadership of business operations, product development, and commercialization across multiple therapeutic areas and all stages of development.
“We are very excited to welcome Matt to our talented executive leadership team,” said Steven Paul, M.D., Voyager’s president and chief executive officer. “As Voyager’s business continues to expand, the fast pace and complexity of our expansion requires additional strong, cross-functional leadership that Matt has demonstrated throughout his career. In addition to leading strategy, program and alliance management, Matt will oversee the commercial development plans of our lead and pipeline programs, including new product planning for our Parkinson’s disease program, which are critical, value-driving areas for the company.”
Mr. Ottmer joins Voyager most recently from Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where he was chief operating officer, responsible for program and alliance management, research, clinical development, pharmaceutical sciences and commercial activities since late 2015. Prior to this role, Matt spent 16 years at Biogen, Inc., in a variety of leadership roles, including as senior vice president, strategy and emerging businesses, head of Tysabri business, chief of staff to the chief executive officer, president of Syntonix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Biogen, now Bioverativ, Inc.), and vice president of global operations. Matt received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Michigan and a Master's in Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
“I am thrilled to join Voyager at this important time during the company’s evolution,” said Matthew P. Ottmer, Voyager’s chief operating officer. “Developing and implementing the initial commercial strategy and planning for VY-AADC for Parkinson’s disease is a top priority, especially as we approach the start of the pivotal program, and I look forward to helping advance our exciting pipeline programs as well.”
About Voyager Therapeutics
Voyager Therapeutics is a clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on developing life-changing treatments for severe neurological diseases. Voyager is committed to advancing the field of adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy through innovation and investment in vector engineering and optimization, manufacturing and dosing and delivery techniques. Voyager’s pipeline focuses on severe neurological diseases in need of effective new therapies, including advanced Parkinson’s disease, a monogenic form of ALS, Huntington’s disease, Friedreich’s ataxia, frontotemporal dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and severe, chronic pain. Voyager has broad strategic collaborations with Sanofi Genzyme, the specialty care global business unit of Sanofi, and the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Founded by scientific and clinical leaders in the fields of AAV gene therapy, expressed RNA interference and neuroscience, Voyager Therapeutics is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.voyagertherapeutics.com.
