Christopher Missling, MS, PhD, MBA, is Now CEO of Anavex Life Science, Developing Drugs for Alzheimers and Parkinsons

November 9, 2017

 

Christopher U. Missling, M.S., Ph.D., MBA, is the President and CEO of Anavex Life Sciences Corp. Dr. Missling has over 20 years of health care industry experience within large pharmaceutical companies, the biotech industry and investment banking. Prior to joining Anavex, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of Curis (NASDAQ:CRIS) and ImmunoGen (NASDAQ:IMGN). In addition, at Aventis — now Sanofi — Dr. Missling worked as head of financial planning on all aspects of financial strategy and M&A. His career experience also includes working as an investment banker in the health care practice at Deutsche Bank, serving pharmaceutical, biotech and diagnostic companies.  In his exclusive interview with the Wall Street Transcript, Dr. Missling describes his strategy and value creation roadmap for Anavex.

“Anavex is a precision medicine company specializing in the development of small-molecule technologies for the treatment of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. Neurodegeneration is the largest unmet medical need, and includes Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Neurodevelopmental indications, which are caused by genetic dysfunction, include autism, autism spectrum disorder, Fragile X, Rett syndrome and epilepsy.”

The company is focused on some high value, near term targets, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimers.  “The most of advanced compound in our pipeline is ANAVEX 2-73, which is now in a Phase IIa clinical trial in 32 mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s patients. The next most advanced compounds are ANAVEX 3-71 and ANAVEX 1-41, which are both at the pre-IND stage. The next stage of clinical trials is in preparation for ANAVEX 2-73: a larger Phase II/III study as well as another Phase II in an orphan indication…”

Several of the treatments are entering Phase III trials.  “The most of advanced compound in our pipeline is ANAVEX 2-73, which is now in a Phase IIa clinical trial in 32 mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s patients. The next most advanced compounds are ANAVEX 3-71 and ANAVEX 1-41, which are both at the pre-IND stage. The next stage of clinical trials is in preparation for ANAVEX 2-73: a larger Phase II/III study as well as another Phase II in an orphan indication…”

To get the complete pictures of Anavex, read the entire interview with President and CEO Christopher Missling at the Wall Street Transcript.