Providence Therapeutics Announces Jared Davis as President

Davis will lead company in its Phase I clinical trial for the PTX-COVID19-B vaccine for Covid-19

CALGARY, AB, Dec. 1, 2020 /CNW/ - The Board of Directors of Providence Therapeutics is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Jared Davis as President of the Company. As President, Davis will lead the Providence team through the transition to becoming a clinical company, with its Phase I clinical trial for the PTX-COVID19-B vaccine for Covid-19. Davis will also manage the rapid transition to later phase clinical trials and preparation for commercialization as the PTX-COVID19-B program progresses to phase II/III in 2021. Furthermore, he will oversee the company's implementation plans to establish new vaccine manufacturing capacity in Canada in collaboration with an mRNA manufacturing partner.

Jared Davis is a well-respected and experienced leader in the mRNA manufacturing and mRNA therapeutics field. Most recently, he was the Vice President of Technical Operations and Manufacturing at Arcturus Therapeutics of San Diego, CA. He led the design and implementation of the manufacturing processes used in the Arcturus clinical programs. While at Arcturus, Davis was named an inventor on multiple patents and was a key team member in the transition of Arcturus from a pre-clinical status to more mature stages. Previously, Davis was the Director of Synthetic Process Development at Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Boston, MA, where he led the mRNA and small molecule process development teams.

While at Alexion, Davis:

• developed novel methods for manufacturing mRNA,
• was the CMC lead for the Moderna mRNA collaboration,
• oversaw late phase CMC development of a small molecule therapeutic program, and
• was instrumental in the development of several recombinant protein process development projects.

"The whole team at Providence is thrilled to have attracted such a bright light in mRNA manufacturing, just when worldwide demand for mRNA vaccines is surging. Having Jared join our leadership team is not only a huge win for Providence Therapeutics, but also for Canada and all Canadians that are ready to move on from COVID. Jared and his family are moving to Canada to help us build domestic and export capacity," said Ken Hughes, Chair of the Board, Providence Therapeutics.

"Providence Therapeutics will manufacture high-quality mRNA vaccines in Canada for infectious diseases and personalized cancer treatments. To do this Providence needs to grow rapidly, and hiring Jared gives our team an expert coach with world-class experience and a proven track record of success. I can't emphasis how much this helps Providence compete to recruit and retain talent in a highly competitive marketplace," noted Brad Sorenson, CEO, Providence Therapeutics.

Jared Davis graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.S. in Biochemistry where he performed research on preeclampsia and expression of the Na/K ATPase. He then received his PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studying under Dr. Sam Butcher. The topic of his PhD thesis was the structure and function of RNA. As a note of interest, one of the RNA structures solved by Davis was featured on the cover of the scientific journal, RNA. Davis completed his postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University under Dr. Scott Strobel where he continued his study of RNA by defining the mechanism of mRNA regulation by ribosome and riboswitches. 

These experiences have prepared Dr. Jared Davis to lead Providence Therapeutics in transition beyond being a clinical company to subsequent commercialization. Davis will collaborate closely with the Board of Directors, including Brad Sorenson, CEO of the Company.

SOURCE Providence Therapeutics

Media inquiries: Andrea Chrysanthou, Global Public Affairs, [email protected], 416-797-8194