VectorY Therapeutics bolsters clinical leadership with appointment of neurology expert as Chief Medical Officer
VectorY Therapeutics, an emerging biotechnology company focused on vectorized antibody therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, has appointed Dr. Olga Uspenskaya-Cadoz as Chief Medical Officer (CMO). The strategic appointment comes at a pivotal moment as the company prepares to submit an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for its lead candidate, VTx-002, for sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) by the end of 2025.
Dr. Uspenskaya-Cadoz brings two decades of experience specifically targeted to VectorY’s therapeutic approach, having previously served as Vice President, Medical, Gene Therapy at Eli Lilly. In this capacity, she led clinical development, operations, pharmacovigilance and patient advocacy for central nervous system (CNS) and lysosomal storage genetic medicines, while contributing to the company’s ALS and rare disease strategy.
Specialist expertise in neurodegenerative disorders
Prior to her role at Eli Lilly, Dr. Uspenskaya-Cadoz held the position of Vice President of Clinical Development at Prevail Therapeutics, where she designed clinical programmes for novel gene therapies targeting neurodegenerative conditions. Her career encompasses extensive experience across global biopharmaceutical companies and academic institutions, including IQVIA, Quintiles, and the University Hospital Pitié-Salpêtrière, where she contributed to clinical trials in Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, and other CNS disorders.
“On behalf of the VectorY team, we welcome Olga at this important stage of our growth,” said Jim Scibetta, chief executive officer of VectorY Therapeutics. “Her deep expertise in neurology and gene therapy, combined with her leadership in clinical development, will be invaluable as we advance our pipeline of vectorized antibody therapies targeting neurodegenerative diseases.”
Advancing vectorized antibody technology towards clinical development
VectorY’s platform technology combines therapeutic antibodies with adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based delivery to the central nervous system. This approach aims to overcome the limitations of traditional antibody therapies in accessing the brain and spinal cord due to the blood-brain barrier, while potentially enabling long-term therapeutic effects from a single administration.
The company’s lead programme, VTx-002, targets sporadic ALS, a devastating neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons. With the IND submission planned before year-end 2025, VectorY intends to initiate clinical trials in 2026.
“I am very pleased to join VectorY and contribute to its mission of developing innovative therapies for patients with neurodegenerative diseases,” said Dr. Uspenskaya-Cadoz. “Vectorized antibody approaches have the potential to revolutionize treatment paradigms, and I look forward to working with the team to advance these promising programs.”
Dr. Uspenskaya-Cadoz received her M.D. and Ph.D. in Neurosciences from First Moscow State Medical University, with additional research training at Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich and the Sorbonne University of Paris. Her academic contributions include over 20 peer-reviewed publications and multiple book chapters on neurodegenerative diseases.
Dr. Olga Uspenskaya-Cadoz
