Inhibikase Therapeutics Announces Appointment of Elizabeth O’Farrell to its Board of Directors
ATLANTA and BOSTON, April 09, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inhibikase Therapeutics, Inc., a pharmaceutical company developing protein kinase inhibitors for the treatment of neurological infections and neurodegenerative diseases, today announced the appointment of Elizabeth G. O’Farrell to its Board of Directors, effective March 1, 2019. Ms. O’Farrell brings more than two decades of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, most recently serving as Chief Procurement Officer of Eli Lilly and Company.
“We are excited to welcome Liz to our Board of Directors, as her extensive experience as a senior executive of a major pharmaceutical company will make her a valuable addition to our Board,” said Milton Werner, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Inhibikase Therapeutics. “We look forward to benefitting from her background as we continue to explore our approach to potentially both halt and reverse Parkinson’s disease.”
“I am delighted to join Inhibikase’s Board of Directors and look forward to the opportunity to work alongside such an accomplished management team,” said Elizabeth O’ Farrell. “It’s exciting to bring my experience and knowledge to Inhibikase at such a pivotal time as the Company continues to progress their differentiated approach to slowing the rate of progression of Parkinson’s Disease by preventing the formation and spread of toxic forms of alpha-synuclein.”
Ms. O'Farrell most recently served as Chief Procurement Officer of Eli Lilly and Company from 2012 to 2017. Prior to that role, she progressed through a number of executive management positions at the company including Senior Vice President, Policy and Finance; Senior Vice President, Finance; Chief Financial Officer, Lilly USA; Chief Financial Officer, Lilly Canada; and General Auditor. Before joining Eli Lilly, Ms. O'Farrell was an accountant with Boise Cascade Office Products, and served as an auditor at Whipple & Company and Price Waterhouse. She was additionally an active board member of the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis for more than a decade, serving as Chair from 2014 to 2016. She currently serves as a member of the board of directors of Geron Corporation, PDL BioPharma, Inc., and as a member of the finance committee of the United Way of Brevard in Brevard County, Florida. Ms. O'Farrell holds a B.S. in Accounting and an M.B.A. in Management Information Systems from Indiana University.
About Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, affecting approximately 1,000,000 persons in the United States, with 60,000 new cases and 38,000 deaths annually. PD is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that initiates with dysfunction of a small protein known as alpha-synuclein, inside and outside of the brain. The common features of PD include tremors at a resting state, slowing or lack of control of movement and postural instability. These features of the disease arise from degeneration of neurons that secrete dopamine to transmit neurological signals. The degeneration of these dopaminergic (DA) neurons in nigrostriatal area of the brain near the brainstem, coupled with the accumulation of alpha-synuclein protein aggregates in cell bodies and terminals known as Lewy bodies (LBs), have long been thought to be the cause of the disease. Less well known are the features of this disease can affect serotonin levels, cholinergic, and norepinephrine neurons and nerve cells in the olfactory system, cerebral hemisphere, brain stem, spinal cord, and peripheral autonomic nervous system such as in the GI tract. Currently, these non-dopaminergic features are not properly controlled with dopamine-replacement or levodopa therapy.
About Inhibikase Therapeutics
Inhibikase Therapeutics, Inc. is a pharmaceutical company focused on the development of protein kinase inhibitors for treatment of neurological infections and neurodegenerative diseases. The Company’s pipeline includes multiple product developed from its proprietary RAMP drug innovation and prodrug technology engines, using the same clinically validated kinase target. The Company is headquartered in Atlanta with additional offices in Boston, Massachusetts.
Inhibikase Investor Contact
Carl Mauch
Stern Investor Relations
212-362-1200
carl.mauch@sternir.com
Released April 9, 2019