Stoke Therapeutics Appoints Ian F. Smith as Chief Executive Officer

Core Insights - Stoke Therapeutics has appointed Ian F. Smith as Chief Executive Officer, who has been serving as Interim CEO since March 2025 and has been a board member since 2023 [1][3] - The company is advancing its lead investigational medicine, zorevunersen, in a global Phase 3 study for Dravet syndrome, a severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathy [2][8] - The collaboration with Biogen Inc. for zorevunersen allows Stoke to retain exclusive rights in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, while Biogen holds rights for the rest of the world [2] Company Leadership - Ian F. Smith is recognized for his deep experience in rare disease drug development and has a strong track record in building and leading teams [3][4] - Arthur Tzianabos, who has been on the board since 2018, will resume his role as Chairman after serving as Executive Chairman during the CEO search [1][6] Clinical Development - The pivotal Phase 3 EMPEROR study for zorevunersen has commenced, contributing to the company's growth and value creation for shareholders [3] - Stoke is also expanding its pipeline with a second clinical program targeting Autosomal Dominant Optic Atrophy [3] Company Background - Stoke Therapeutics focuses on restoring protein expression through RNA medicine, utilizing its proprietary TANGO approach to develop antisense oligonucleotides [8] - The company is headquartered in Bedford, Massachusetts, and aims to address diseases caused by a loss of approximately 50% of normal protein levels [8]