NEW HAVEN, Conn., Oct. 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Artizan Biosciences, Inc., a biotechnology company at the frontier of microbiome precision medicine, today announced the appointment of Bridget Martell, M.A., M.D., as President and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Martell is a seasoned biopharmaceutical executive with high-impact, results-oriented breadth and depth in clinical development, medical affairs, and business development across a range of therapeutic areas from first-in-human through approval and commercialization. She succeeds James (Jimmy) Rosen, M.B.A., M.S.P.H., in the roles.
Dr. Martell brings extensive scientific acumen to her leadership roles and has been a pivotal leader or major contributor in the success of six marketed products: Kadcyla®, Elelyso®, Intermezzo®, the trastuzumab biosimilar Ogivri®, as well as secondary indications for Pradaxa® and Sutent®. She has held leadership and C-suite executive roles at companies including Kura Oncology, where she led the menin inhibitor program through a period of rapid growth and at Juniper Pharmaceuticals, where she led development of unique combined drug/device technology that was out-licensed for $131M. Dr. Martell is a currently a member of the Board of Directors at Achieve Life Sciences and serves as a Venture Partner at AlleyCorp’s Healthcare Fund.
Dr. Martell started her pharmaceutical career at Pfizer, where she had roles of increasing responsibility that included Clinical Team Leader for Sutent® GU solid tumors in the Oncology Business Unit and, ultimately, Biosimilars Medical Head. She began her clinical investigation career at Yale with a Career Development Award, where she led a therapeutic cocaine vaccine trial and was a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar. Dr. Martell was a practicing physician at Yale for 20 years and remains active as an Entrepreneur in Residence at the Office of Cooperative Research. She holds a B.Sc. in Microbiology from Cornell University, an M.A. in Molecular Immunology from Boston University and an M.D. from The Chicago Medical School. Dr. Martell is board certified in Internal and Addiction Medicine.
“I’m honored to be leading such an exceptional, world-class, and dedicated team at Artizan as we leverage our proprietary platform-based technology to create novel differentiated small-molecule therapeutics to precisely stop microbial-driven dysregulation and inflammation that is central to many serious diseases,” said Dr. Martell. “It’s an exciting time to be part of the Company’s efforts to enter the clinic with our lead program in inflammatory bowel disease that is supported by our strategic partnerships with Biohaven Pharmaceuticals and Brii Biosciences.”
“We are delighted to have Dr. Martell join Artizan as she brings a proven track record of developing promising science into therapeutic products that improve patient lives. Her bench-to-bedside experience will be extremely valuable to the Company as it works to enter the clinic,” said Artizan’s Board of Directors Chairperson Christy Shaffer, Ph.D. “On behalf of the entire board, I would like to extend our gratitude to Jimmy Rosen for his contributions to Artizan. Under his leadership, the Company raised over $22 million, expanded its integrative biology laboratory team and footprint, established our proprietary microbiome system, and secured collaborations with leading biotech companies. We wish him well in his future endeavors.”
About Artizan Biosciences, Inc.
Artizan Biosciences, Inc. is a biotechnology company at the frontier of microbiome precision medicine, targeting and blocking microbial-driven dysregulation and inflammation in the gut that is at the root cause of many serious diseases. The company’s proprietary drug discovery engine identifies and characterizes microbial drivers of disease within precise patient subsets in high-value areas including gastrointestinal, metabolic, autoimmune, and neurodegenerative diseases. Using a novel small molecule approach, Artizan modulates intestinal imbalance by inhibiting specific, disease-associated microbial virulence factors in the intestinal tract. The company’s platform with its lead program nearing the clinic in inflammatory bowel disease is validated by strategic partnerships with Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Brii Biosciences, and Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. Founded with IgA-SEQ™ technology and preeminent immunobiology expertise from Yale University, Artizan is based in New Haven, CT. For more information, please visit www.artizanbiosciences.com.
