Transforming medicine through non-viral gene therapy, Theresa Heah, CEO, Intergalactic Tx

Synopsis: Theresa Heah, M.D., is the CEO of Intergalactic Therapeutics. Intergalactic is overcoming the limitations of viral-based gene therapy and developing a best-in-class non-viral alternative. Intergalactic uses synthetic biology and engineered gene circuits to make covalently closed and circular DNA (“C3DNA”) molecules designed to provide a potentially safer and more effective solution for patients. Theresa has over two decades of global drug development and commercial experience. She talks about her choice to focus on ophthalmology, where ophthalmology as a therapeutic area is from a drug development perspective, and some of the opportunities she sees ahead for this space. She discusses the importance of having mentors and the emotional aspects of being a CEO. Finally, she dives into the work Intergalactic is doing, where they are from a company building perspective, and how she thinks about driving more access and scale for gene therapies, given the high cost of development and scalability. Since this podcast was recorded, in July 2023, new data from IG-002, Intergalactic’s lead program, demonstrated persistent ABCA4 expression in non-human primate retinas over six months after a single administration.This data support plans to advance IG-002 into Phase 1 trials in 2024. Biography: Dr. Heah is an accomplished executive who brings over two decades of drug development and commercial experience, focused primarily in gene therapy and ophthalmology. She most recently served as President and Chief Medical Officer at Kriya Therapeutics, where she launched the ophthalmology division, Kriya Ophthalmology, and was responsible for building its AAV gene therapy portfolio strategy and supporting the company’s Series C financing. Prior to joining Kriya, Dr. Heah served as Executive Vice President of Operations and Chief Medical Officer at AsclepiX Therapeutics, where she led the company’s Series A financing and advancement of its pipeline products into the clinic. Dr. Heah also previously served as Chief Medical Officer at Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation (AGTC), working to develop gene therapies in ophthalmology and rare diseases. In addition, she has held several leadership positions with increasing responsibility in early-stage private companies (Fovea Pharmaceuticals) and publicly traded companies (Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Allergan, Bayer Healthcare, Sanofi). Dr. Heah earned her M.D. from Guy’s, King’s and St. Thomas’ School of Medicine, King’s College, University of London, and her Executive Master’s in Business Administration from the European School of Management & Technology (ESMT), Berlin.