CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Catabasis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:CATB), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced the appointment of Hugh M. Cole to its Board of Directors. Mr. Cole has more than 20 years of pharmaceutical business development experience and is currently the Chief Business Officer and Head of Corporate Development at Jounce Therapeutics.

“We are pleased to have Hugh join us on the Board,” said Ken Bate, Chairman of Catabasis’ Board of Directors. “His extensive experience in business development and commercial strategy will be an asset to Catabasis as we prepare to become a commercial rare disease organization following the completion of the Phase 3 clinical trial of edasalonexent in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.”

“I am excited to join the Board at Catabasis and look forward to contributing to the strategy to ensure that the full potential of edasalonexent is achieved. This is an exciting time at Catabasis as the commercialization planning work is underway for the anticipated future launch of edasalonexent, a therapy that has the potential to benefit a broad range of patients affected by Duchenne, regardless of mutation type,” said Hugh M. Cole.

Prior to Jounce Therapeutics, Mr. Cole served as Chief Business Officer at ARIAD Pharmaceuticals from 2014 to 2017 and was previously at Shire Pharmaceuticals as Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning and Program Management from 2012 to 2014, Global Franchise Leader from 2009 to 2012, and head of Business Development for Shire’s rare disease business from 2007 to 2009. Mr. Cole holds an AB from Harvard University and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

About Catabasis

At Catabasis Pharmaceuticals, our mission is to bring hope and life-changing therapies to patients and their families. Our lead program is edasalonexent, an NF-kB inhibitor in development for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The global Phase 3 PolarisDMD trial is currently enrolling boys affected by Duchenne. For more information on edasalonexent and our Phase 3 trial, please visit www.catabasis.com.