Coave Therapeutics Strengthens Leadership Team for Retinal Program Development

Coave Therapeutics, a company focused on redefining ocular gene therapy, has bolstered its leadership team with the appointment of four key executives. These additions aim to propel the company’s lead retinal program, CoTx-101, into clinical development and expand its pipeline to cover broader retinal diseases.

Carl De Luca, PhD, has been appointed as the Chief Technology Officer. With over 20 years of experience in CMC development, technical operations, and program leadership, De Luca brings expertise in biologics and gene therapies, particularly in ophthalmic AAV programs. His previous role at Orchard Therapeutics involved leading technical development strategy for cell and gene therapy programs, and prior to that, he spent over a decade at Novartis, where he held senior roles in enabling technologies and AAV gene therapies.

Nora Dimon, MD, FEBO, has been named Vice President of Clinical Development. Dimon brings more than two decades of leadership in clinical development and medical affairs in ophthalmology and retinal diseases. She previously served as Executive Director of Clinical Development at ADARx Pharmaceuticals, where she spearheaded clinical strategy and regulatory interactions. Her extensive experience also includes roles at Ocular Therapeutix, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Ocugen, where she designed and executed clinical trials for ophthalmology programs.

Annelise Brossel has joined as Vice President of Regulatory and Translational Sciences. With 25 years of experience in regulatory affairs and quality leadership, Brossel has worked on gene therapies, biologics, and rare diseases. She most recently served as Director of Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance at Vivet Therapeutics, where she led global regulatory strategy for a portfolio of orphan metabolic disease and AAV-based gene therapy programs. Her experience includes coordinating IND and CTA submissions, securing orphan drug designations, and interacting with regulatory agencies such as the FDA and EMA.

Veronica Ferrer, PhD, has been appointed as Vice President of Global Operations. With nearly 20 years of experience in the development of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs), Ferrer brings deep expertise in CMC, analytical development, and global operational leadership of AAV-based gene therapy programs. Her previous role at Vivet Therapeutics involved overseeing the development of two programs to Phase I and Phase II clinical trials. Prior to that, she held an analytics leadership role at Pfizer and research and quality control roles at the University College London's Wolfson Gene Therapy Unit.

Rodolphe Clerval, CEO of Coave Therapeutics, commented, "These appointments bring the expertise and experience needed to execute our strategy as we advance CoTx-101 toward the clinic and expand our pipeline. The collective experience of Carl, Nora, Annelise, and Veronica will be instrumental in driving our next phase of growth and bringing transformative precision gene therapies to patients."

Starting with ophthalmology, Coave Therapeutics is pioneering first-in-class ligand-conjugated AAVs, enabling precision vectors that are highly tissue specific, precisely delivered, and safer than traditional approaches. The company's lead program, CoTx-101, aims to provide a best-in-class, safe, and convenient treatment for retinal diseases such as neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD/wAMD), freeing patients from the burden of frequent injections while offering durable vision gains.

Headquartered in Paris, France, Coave Therapeutics is backed by leading international life sciences investors. The company is committed to transforming the treatment of retinal diseases through innovative gene therapy solutions.