Vico Therapeutics snags Roche exec as new CMO

Dutch neurology-focused genetic medicine company Vico Therapeutics has appointed Scott Schobel as its chief medical officer (CMO).

Dr Schobel’s significant drug development experience includes 10 years in various roles at Roche where he led the development of small molecules, monoclonal antibodies, and antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs). In his new role at Vico, he will lead clinical development efforts including advancement of VO659 for the potential treatment of Huntington’s disease (HD) and spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) into the clinic and expansion of the company’s VICOMER oligonucleotide-based RNA modulation platform.

Dr Schobel was previously group medical director and most recently clinical science leader of the Roche tominersen and gantenerumab clinical development programs. At Roche, he pioneered the development of clinical endpoints in HD research, co-chaired a task force that generated a new research-based disease staging framework for HD based on underlying biology, and clinically led the first ever huntingtin-lowering therapy Phase III program with tominersen. Before Roche, he was an assistant professor of clinical psychiatry and the medical director of the Center of Prevention and Evaluation (COPE) at Columbia University Medical Center.