GenSight Biologics Appoints Mohamed Genead as Chief Medical Officer

PARIS, FRANCE - May 3, 2017 - GenSight Biologics S.A. (Euronext: SIGHT, ISIN: FR0013183985, PEA-PME eligible), a biopharma company that discovers and develops innovative gene therapies for neurodegenerative retinal diseases and diseases of the central nervous system, announced it has appointed Mohamed Genead, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer, effective May 1, 2017. Dr. Genead brings more than 15 years of experience to the role, including his most recent role as Vice President & Global Therapeutic Area Head for Ophthalmology/Retina Gene Therapy at Biogen.

Dr. Genead will oversee clinical development and medical affairs at GenSight. He will be part of the Executive Committee and will report directly to Bernard Gilly, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of GenSight. Dr. Genead will be based on the East Coast of the United States.

“Dr. Genead brings a wealth of gene therapy and retina expertise to the GenSight Biologics team,” said Dr. Gilly. “We look forward to his contributions as we complete our two ongoing pivotal Phase III trials of GS010 for Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy and prepare to begin clinical development of GS030 for retinitis pigmentosa. His leadership in the field of ophthalmic drug development will be instrumental as we continue to progress our innovative pipeline of therapies to addresses sight-threatening diseases.”  

As Vice President & Global Therapeutic Area Head for Ophthalmology/Retina Gene Therapy at Biogen, Dr. Genead served as the strategic R&D partner for the business unit and was responsible for the growth of the therapeutic portfolio. In this role, he was part of the teams responsible for developing Biogen’s overall R&D strategy as a member of the Clinical Development Leadership Team and an extended member of the Pipeline Committee.

Prior to Biogen, Dr. Genead served eight years at Allergan as the Executive Medical Director, Global Clinical Development for the Ophthalmology/Retina Therapeutic Area. Before this, he was the Vice President & Global Head of Clinical Development at Allegro.

Dr. Genead is a board member of several ophthalmic organizations, and he has authored numerous peer-reviewed papers across his career.

“I’m pleased to be joining the accomplished GenSight Biologics team at this exciting stage of strategic development,” said Dr. Genead. “I’m looking forward to continuing to work on the development of therapies at a company as dedicated as I am to ophthalmology and the treatment of severe retinal conditions.” 

About GenSight Biologics

GenSight Biologics S.A. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company discovering and developing novel therapies for neurodegenerative retinal diseases and diseases of the central nervous system. GenSight Biologics’ pipeline leverages two core technology platforms, the Mitochondrial Targeting Sequence (MTS) and optogenetics for retinitis pigmentosa, to help preserve or restore vision in patients suffering from severe degenerative retinal diseases. GenSight Biologics’ lead product candidate, GS010, is in Phase III trials in Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON), a rare mitochondrial disease that leads to irreversible low vision and legal blindness in teens and young adults. Using its gene therapy-based approach, GenSight Biologics’ product candidates are designed to be administered in a single treatment to each eye by intravitreal injection to offer patients a sustainable functional visual recovery.