CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fulcrum Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: FULC), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on improving the lives of patients with genetically defined rare diseases, today announced that Christopher Moxham, Ph.D., has been promoted to the role of chief scientific officer. In this role, Dr. Moxham will oversee the organization’s full range of drug discovery and translational science research, including advancing the company’s multiple preclinical collaborations and building and expanding Fulcrum’s product engine. Dr. Moxham played a key role in the discovery of FTX-6058, Fulcrum’s highly potent small molecule inhibitor of EED for the treatment of hemoglobinopathies, such as sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia. Dr. Moxham will join the executive leadership team and report to Robert Gould, Ph.D., Fulcrum’s president and chief executive officer. Owen Wallace, Ph.D., will step down from his role as chief scientific officer, effective February 5, 2021 to pursue another opportunity. Dr. Wallace has been appointed to Fulcrum’s Scientific Advisory Board and in that role will continue to provide counsel to Fulcrum on the company’s research and development programs.
“On behalf of the entire Fulcrum organization, I would like to express my profound thanks for Owen’s contributions to Fulcrum’s early-stage pipeline and clinical research, including building our world-class team of talented and experienced researchers leading our preclinical development efforts,” said Robert Gould, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer. “We wish him all the best in the next phase of his professional career and now welcome his outstanding experience and insights as a member of our Scientific Advisory Board.”
“Chris’s appointment to chief scientific officer reflects his strong scientific acumen and deep expertise in drug discovery,” continued Dr. Gould. “I am confident that under Chris’s leadership we will continue to build new levels of momentum in our strategy to advance the promising compounds in our pipeline as rapidly as possible and to build for the future with new and promising opportunities in our research and development programs. Chris has made significant contributions to Fulcrum and I look forward to continuing to work together as we advance FTX-6058 into sickle cell patients and evolve our product engine."
Dr. Moxham joined Fulcrum in January 2019 after having spent over 20 years in drug discovery primarily at Eli Lilly and Company. In this role, he helped grow Lilly’s oncology pipeline, developed critical biopharma and academic partnerships and established a state-of-the-art laboratory facility focused on preclinical and translational research. He has led teams that have delivered numerous small and large molecules into clinical development. Dr. Moxham serves on the external review boards of the Long Island Bioscience Hub and the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation. He received his B.S. in biological sciences from Cornell University and his Ph.D. in molecular and cellular pharmacology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He also conducted postdoctoral training at SUNY Stony Brook under the sponsorship of the National Institutes of Health.
About Fulcrum Therapeutics
Fulcrum Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on improving the lives of patients with genetically defined rare diseases in areas of high unmet medical need. Fulcrum’s proprietary product engine identifies drug targets which can modulate gene expression to treat the known root cause of gene mis-expression. The company has advanced losmapimod to Phase 2 clinical development for the treatment of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) and Phase 3 for the treatment of COVID-19. Fulcrum has also advanced FTX-6058, a small molecule designed to increase expression of fetal hemoglobin for the treatment of sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia into Phase 1 clinical development.
