Core Insights - NodThera has appointed Dr. Jyothis George as Chief Medical Officer, effective immediately, to lead the clinical advancement of its NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor portfolio [1][4][5] Company Overview - NodThera is a clinical-stage biotech focused on developing brain-penetrant NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors for chronic inflammatory diseases, with two lead clinical candidates showing potentially best-in-class profiles [6] - The company is backed by prominent investors including 5AM Ventures, Blue Owl Capital, Epidarex Capital, F-Prime Capital, Novo Holdings, Sanofi Ventures, and Sofinnova Partners [6] Leadership Experience - Dr. Jyothis George brings extensive experience in cardiometabolic drug development, having previously served as Global Medical Vice President at Amgen, where he led strategic planning for obesity treatments [2][3] - His past roles include Corporate Vice President at Novo Nordisk, where he oversaw key clinical trials for drugs like semaglutide, and Global Head of Clinical Development at Boehringer Ingelheim, where he managed pivotal programs for empagliflozin and linagliptin [3] Strategic Vision - The appointment of Dr. George is expected to enhance NodThera's clinical development efforts, leveraging his expertise in regulatory success and landmark trials to advance the company's innovative therapies [4][5] - Dr. George expressed enthusiasm about transforming treatments for diseases linked to chronic low-grade inflammation, aiming to restore metabolic balance for patients [4]

Company Overview - Veru Inc. is a late clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative medicines for cardiometabolic and inflammatory diseases [3] - The company's drug development program includes two late-stage novel small molecules: enobosarm and sabizabulin [3] Enobosarm Development - Enobosarm is a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) aimed at enhancing weight reduction by making GLP-1 RA drugs more tissue selective for fat loss while preserving lean mass [3] - The Phase 2b QUALITY clinical trial demonstrated a statistically significant 71% relative reduction in lean mass loss for patients receiving enobosarm combined with semaglutide compared to placebo [5] - The enobosarm 3mg + semaglutide group showed a >99% mean relative reduction in loss of lean mass [5] - Enobosarm treatment resulted in a 46% greater relative loss of fat mass compared to placebo + semaglutide at 16 weeks [6] - The median total body weight loss in the enobosarm + semaglutide group was 90.6% fat loss compared to 68% in the placebo + semaglutide group, indicating a shift towards greater fat loss [6] Physical Function and Safety - The Stair Climb Test indicated that 42.6% of patients on placebo + semaglutide experienced a ≥10% decline in stair climb power, while the enobosarm + semaglutide group had a 54.4% mean relative reduction in this decline [8] - Safety data for the Phase 2b QUALITY study remains blinded, with no significant differences noted compared to previous studies of enobosarm [9] Sabizabulin Development - Sabizabulin is being explored as a treatment for inflammation in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, addressing a significant unmet medical need [11][14] - The drug has shown broad anti-inflammatory activity in previous studies, with a safety database consisting of 266 dosed patients [13] - A Phase 2 dose-finding proof of concept study is planned to assess the drug's efficacy in reducing inflammation associated with coronary artery disease [15]