aTyr Pharma Announces Co-Founder of the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research and Leading Sarcoidosis Advocate Andrea Wilson as Patient Advisor

Ms. Wilson to advise company on patient strategies related to clinical program for ATYR1923 in pulmonary sarcoidosis

SAN DIEGO, April 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- aTyr Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: LIFE), a biotherapeutics company engaged in the discovery and development of innovative medicines based on novel biological pathways, today announced the appointment of Andrea Wilson as a patient advisor to the company. Ms. Wilson, a sarcoidosis patient and advocate, co-founded the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR), the leading international nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure for sarcoidosis and improving care for sarcoidosis patients, and previously served as President and a member of its Board of Directors, including Chairwoman.

“We are pleased during Sarcoidosis Awareness Month to welcome Andrea, a leading advocate for sarcoidosis, as a patient advisor to aTyr,” said Sanjay S. Shukla, M.D., M.S., President and Chief Executive Officer of aTyr. “Andrea has dedicated the past 20 years to promoting awareness and generating support to accelerate research to find a cure for this debilitating disease. Her firsthand knowledge as a patient combined with her longstanding advocacy experience and relationship to the sarcoidosis community will help support patient strategies for our ATYR1923 clinical program in pulmonary sarcoidosis.”

“I am delighted to join aTyr as a patient advisor. As a longtime sarcoidosis patient and Co-Founder and former Board Member of the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research, I know through personal experience the need for new treatment options for patients with sarcoidosis, including alternatives to corticosteroids,” said Ms. Wilson. “I look forward to supporting aTyr as they continue development of ATYR1923 as a potential new therapeutic for this chronic, debilitating disease.”

Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease characterized by the formation of granulomas, clumps of inflammatory cells, in one or more organs in the body. Sarcoidosis in the lungs is called pulmonary sarcoidosis and occurs in more than 90% of all sarcoidosis patients. Pulmonary sarcoidosis is a major form of interstitial lung disease, a group of immune-mediated disorders which can cause progressive fibrosis, or scarring, of lung tissue. Approximately 150,000 to 200,000 Americans live with pulmonary sarcoidosis. The prognosis for patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis ranges from benign and self-limiting to chronic, debilitating disease, permanent loss of lung function and death. Current treatment options include corticosteroids and other immunosuppressive therapies, which have limited efficacy and are associated with serious side-effects when used long-term that many patients cannot tolerate.