Verve Expands Leadership Team with Appointment of Frederick T. Fiedorek, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer

BOSTON, Sept. 18, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Verve Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering a new approach to the care of cardiovascular disease with single-course gene editing medicines, today announced the appointment of Frederick “Fred” T. Fiedorek, M.D., as chief medical officer (CMO). Andrew Bellinger, M.D., Ph.D., the current chief scientific officer (CSO) and CMO, will transition to the role of CSO.

“We are excited by the continued expansion of the Verve team and the execution of a plan to become a multi-product clinical-stage company,” said Sekar Kathiresan, M.D., co-founder and chief executive officer of Verve. “Our heart-1 clinical trial is well underway, with multiple additional trials planned in 2024 and beyond, and we have a robust research effort to fuel pipeline expansion and progress our partner programs. Now is the right time to split the CMO and CSO roles with two, complementary industry leaders. Verve’s tremendous progress over the last five years has been made possible by Andrew’s significant contributions in his joint role. He will continue to lead the growth of our portfolio as CSO and be a key collaborator to Fred to inform our clinical and regulatory strategies. Fred’s deep cardiology experience and more than 20 years of clinical development and regulatory expertise in the biopharma industry will be instrumental as we look to start additional trials that bring more programs into the clinic. I am thrilled by the talent of this team and our ability to execute our mission.”

Dr. Bellinger noted, “We are pleased to welcome Fred to the team during such an exciting time for the organization. This appointment reflects our conviction in the global clinical development programs at Verve and in the potential for in vivo gene editing to transform the treatment of cardiovascular disease.”

“It is an amazing opportunity to join a company with such a bold vision to change the treatment paradigm for cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. Fiedorek. “The unmet needs in this therapeutic area are significant, and I am excited to partner with this impressive team and to contribute to the advancement of a pipeline of single-course gene editing medicines that have transformational potential.”

Dr. Fiedorek has more than 20 years of experience in clinical development and leadership, primarily in therapeutic areas such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and endocrine/metabolic diseases. Prior to Verve, he held CMO roles at Rhythm Pharmaceuticals, Intarcia Therapeutics and a stealth company within Atlas Venture. In addition, Dr. Fiedorek served as a senior advisor to Foresite Capital Management. Prior to these roles, he spent 13 years at Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), where he was most recently senior vice president, head of cardiovascular and metabolic development responsible for leading Phase 2 through Phase 4 global development for the cardiovascular and metabolic therapeutic areas. Under his leadership, several new medicines achieved successful marketing authorization, including Eliquis^® (apixaban), Farxiga^® (dapagliflozin), Onglyza^® (saxagliptin) and Myalept^® (metreleptin). Prior to BMS, Dr. Fiedorek was international project leader for metabolic drug development at Glaxo-Wellcome. He received an M.D. from Harvard Medical School and trained in internal medicine and endocrinology and metabolism at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He also served on the faculty of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.

About Verve Therapeutics 
Verve Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: VERV) is a clinical-stage genetic medicines company pioneering a new approach to the care of cardiovascular disease, potentially transforming treatment from chronic management to single-course gene editing medicines. The company’s initial three programs – VERVE-101, VERVE-102, and VERVE-201 – target genes that have been extensively validated as targets for lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), a root cause of cardiovascular disease. VERVE-101 and VERVE-102 are designed to permanently turn off the PCSK9 gene in the liver and are being developed initially for heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) and ultimately to treat atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) patients not at goal on oral therapy. VERVE-201 is designed to permanently turn off the ANGPTL3 gene in the liver and is initially being developed for homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) and ultimately to treat patients with refractory hypercholesterolemia. For more information, please visit www.VerveTx.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding the initiation, and timing, of the Company’s planned and future clinical trials and the therapeutic potential of the company’s programs. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained in this press release, including statements regarding the company’s strategy, future operations, future financial position, prospects, plans and objectives of management, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks associated with the company’s limited operating history; the company’s ability to timely submit and receive approvals of regulatory applications for its product candidates; advance its product candidates in clinical trials; initiate, enroll and complete its ongoing and future clinical trials on the timeline expected or at all; correctly estimate the potential patient population and/or market for the company’s product candidates; replicate in clinical trials positive results found in preclinical studies and/or earlier-stage clinical trials of VERVE-101, VERVE-102, and VERVE-201; advance the development of its product candidates under the timelines it anticipates in current and future clinical trials; obtain, maintain or protect intellectual property rights related to its product candidates; manage expenses; and raise the substantial additional capital needed to achieve its business objectives. For a discussion of other risks and uncertainties, and other important factors, any of which could cause the company’s actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see the “Risk Factors” section, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties and other important factors, in the company’s most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in other filings that the company makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the future. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the company’s views as of the date hereof and should not be relied upon as representing the company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof. The company anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause the company’s views to change. However, while the company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so.

Investor Contact
Jen Robinson
Verve Therapeutics, Inc.
jrobinson@vervetx.com

Media Contact
Dan Budwick
1AB
dan@1abmedia.com