Leiden, The Netherlands – 7 February 2013 – Prosensa Therapeutics, the Dutch biopharmaceutical company focusing on RNA-modulating therapeutics for rare diseases with high unmet need, announced the appointment of Larry Bell, M.D. as its Vice President of Regulatory Affairs. Dr. Bell will be based in the USA.
Dr. Bell has more than 18 years experience in running regulatory affairs for world-leading pharmaceutical companies including Merck, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Aventis and Amgen. Before setting up his own consultancy, in his most recent role he was Vice President and Global Head of Regulatory Affairs at GE Healthcare. He completed his MD at the University of Texas Medical Branch.
At Prosensa, Dr. Bell will be overseeing the company’s global regulatory activities. Importantly, given the ground-breaking nature of Prosensa’s exon-skipping therapies and the need to ensure an efficient route to patients, he will also be instrumental in developing appropriate regulatory strategies and effective relationships with the relevant authorities in USA, Europe and Japan.
Commenting on his appointment, Dr. Bell said: “This is a key time to be joining the Prosensa team. As the orphan drugs space grows in size and scope, there are many regulatory considerations that need to be addressed in order for new drugs to reach the patients that need them. I look forward to helping progress Prosensa’s cutting-edge therapies through the regulatory process.”
Prosensa’s Chief Medical Officer, Giles Campion, commented: “Prosensa has created an extensive clinical development program that aims to target different subpopulations of Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients. Pioneering the regulatory pathway for this new class of drugs is an important factor in our focus to bring treatments to patients as fast as possible. Larry’s extensive scientific experience, both in research and regulatory affairs, combined with his medical experience, brings valuable new skills into the company.”
