Tenaya Therapeutics Announces Research Leadership Updates

Kathy Ivey, Ph.D., Promoted to Senior Vice President, Research and Timothy Hoey, Ph.D., Transitions to Advisory Role

Pediatric Cardiologist and Genetic Therapy Expert Barry J. Byrne, M.D., Ph.D., Joins Scientific Advisory Board

Board Member Jin-Long Chen, Ph.D., Steps Down

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tenaya Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: TNYA), a clinical-stage biotechnology company with a mission to discover, develop and deliver potentially curative therapies that address the underlying causes of heart disease, today announced changes to its Research leadership team, including new appointments to the company’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).

Kathy Ivey, Ph.D., Vice President of Gene Therapy Research, will be promoted to Senior Vice President, Research, with responsibility for all Tenaya’s non-clinical research and discovery work. Timothy Hoey, Ph.D., who has served as Tenaya’s Chief Scientific Officer since 2017, will step down from his role. Dr. Hoey will remain with the Company in an advisory capacity, including joining Tenaya’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) and serving as a consultant to Tenaya’s Science & Technology Committee.

In addition, Barry J. Byrne, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Associate Chair of Pediatrics, Molecular Genetics & Microbiology Director, Powell Gene Therapy Center, University of Florida School of Medicine, has also been appointed to Tenaya’s SAB.

“Kathy was instrumental in Tenaya’s formation in 2016 and has led our genetic medicines discovery efforts since day one as Tenaya’s first full-time employee. She currently leads our gene therapy, gene editing and regenerative medicine programs, as well as efforts to discover and design novel AAV capsids, promoters, and other regulatory elements,” said Faraz Ali, Chief Executive Officer of Tenaya Therapeutics. “This is a well-deserved promotion, and we look forward to Kathy’s continued leadership to successfully guide our science in pursuit of our mission to improve the lives of those with heart disease.”

“We are grateful to Tim for seven incredible years of scientific leadership and progress at Tenaya, without which we would not be who we are today. His leadership was fundamental in building a strong research team, establishing differentiated capabilities, creating a deep and diverse pipeline, and moving three product candidates into the clinic. We’re thrilled that Tim’s expertise will remain available to Tenaya as he transitions to an advisory role, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors,” added Mr. Ali. “We are also thrilled to welcome Dr. Byrne to Tenaya’s SAB. His expertise as a pediatric cardiologist and extensive clinical research experience specific to genetic therapies provides him with unique insights into our work on gene therapy and gene editing in cardiomyopathies that affect young people.”

Separately, Tenaya also announced that Jin-Long Chen, Ph.D., is stepping down from the company’s Board of Directors following more than seven years of service to focus on other commitments, including his role as Managing Partner of TCG Labs Soleil.

“On behalf of the Tenaya Board of Directors, I’d like to convey our appreciation for Dr. Chen’s many contributions during his tenure as a Board member,” said David Goeddel, Ph.D., Chair of Tenaya’s Board of Directors and Managing Partner at The Column Group.

Kathy Ivey, Ph.D.

Kathy Ivey brings nearly 25 years of experience in the discovery of transformative product candidates for heart disease. For the past several years, she has overseen the discovery and preclinical testing efforts that resulted in Tenaya’s TN-201 and TN-401 gene therapy product candidates. Dr. Ivey has also led the company’s capsid engineering efforts to create novel adeno-associated capsids with greater selectivity to deliver genetic medicines with the potential to prevent or reverse specific forms of cardiac disease. In addition, she has been responsible for much of Tenaya’s most cutting-edge endeavors, including early-stage gene editing and cardiac regeneration programs. Previously, Dr. Ivey was a Staff Researcher at The Gladstone Institutes where she directed the Gladstone Stem Cell Core and worked with Tenaya’s scientific co-founder, Deepak Srivastava, MD., and aided in Tenaya’s formation. Dr. Ivey is trained in Molecular and Cell Biology and holds a B.S. from Texas A&M University and Ph.D. from UT Southwestern Medical Center where she completed her thesis work within the Molecular Biology Department chaired by Tenaya co-founder, Eric Olson, Ph.D.

Barry J. Byrne, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Barry Byrne is a renowned clinical scientist specializing in the development of medicines for inherited muscle diseases. Since joining the University of Florida in 1997, he has served in a variety of clinical, research and educational roles, and is now the Director of the Powell Gene Therapy Center. As a pediatric cardiologist, Dr. Byrne’s focus is on conditions that lead to skeletal muscle weakness, cardiac dysfunction and respiratory dysfunction. His research team has contributed to the advancement of genetic therapies for Pompe, Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy, Friedreich’s ataxia, and other neuromuscular conditions. Dr. Byrne earned his M.D. and Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Illinois after obtaining a B.S. degree in Chemistry from Denison University. He completed his pediatric residency, cardiology fellowship training and post-doctoral training in Biological Chemistry at Johns Hopkins University. He is a board-certified pediatric cardiologist with greater than 330 publications.

About Tenaya Therapeutics

Tenaya Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to a bold mission: to discover, develop and deliver potentially curative therapies that address the underlying drivers of heart disease. Leveraging its integrated and interrelated Gene Therapy, Cellular Regeneration and Precision Medicine platforms and proprietary core capabilities, the company is advancing a pipeline of novel therapies with diverse treatment modalities for rare genetic cardiovascular disorders and more prevalent heart conditions. Tenaya’s most advanced candidates include TN-201, a gene therapy for MYBPC3-associated hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), TN-401, a gene therapy for PKP2-associated arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), and TN-301, a small molecule HDAC6 inhibitor being initially developed for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Tenaya also has multiple early-stage programs progressing through preclinical development. For more information, visit .

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