Athira Pharma Appoints Andrew Gengos as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Business Officer

Veteran biopharmaceutical executive brings over 30 years of financial, corporate strategy, transactional and business development experience

BOTHELL, Wash., May 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Athira Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATHA), a late clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing small molecules to restore neuronal health and slow neurodegeneration, today announced the appointment of Andrew Gengos as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Business Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Gengos replaces Glenna Mileson, who is retiring after serving as Athira’s Chief Financial Officer for eight years.

“On behalf of the entire Athira team, we thank Glenna for her many years of service, particularly for her stewardship during our transition to a publicly traded company, and wish her well in retirement,” said Mark Litton, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, Athira Pharma.

“We are delighted to welcome Andrew to the Athira team and look forward to his leadership as we continue to advance our goal to make a significant impact on neurodegenerative diseases,” said Dr. Litton. “Andrew’s broad experience in finance, corporate strategy, fundraising transactions and business development will be of great value as we strive to build Athira into a leading neuronal health company.”

“I’m excited to join Athira at this important time as the growing body of preclinical and clinical data continues to support the therapeutic potential of enhancing the HGF/MET system to protect and repair neuronal networks in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS,” said Mr. Gengos. “It’s an honor to be part of this highly talented and dedicated team committed to developing new treatments to improve the lives of patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases.”

Mr. Gengos is a seasoned finance and corporate strategy executive with more than 30 years of experience successfully leading teams in the life sciences and biotechnology industry. Most recently, he served as the Chief Business Officer at Cyteir Therapeutics, where he was an integral part of the leadership team that took the company public. Prior to that, Mr. Gengos held Chief Executive Officer roles at ImmunoCellular Therapeutics and Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals, where he provided strategic and financial leadership across multiple therapeutic areas, including oncology and neurodegenerative disease. In addition to these leadership positions, Mr. Gengos also held the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Business Officer roles at AOBiome Therapeutics and was the Chief Operating Officer and Head of Corporate Development at Synlogic, Inc. Earlier, Mr. Gengos was Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development at Amgen for eight years. Mr. Gengos started his career as a Technology Associate at Morgan Stanley before moving on to McKinsey & Co., where he advanced from associate to Senior Engagement Manager, focusing in the Healthcare and Strategy practices. Mr. Gengos holds a Master of Business Administration from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.