CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 18, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Voyager Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VYGR), a clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on developing life-changing treatments for severe neurological diseases announced today the appointment of Matthew P. Ottmer as chief operating officer. Mr. Ottmer brings to Voyager more than 18 years of biotechnology industry experience, including executive leadership of business operations, product development, and commercialization across multiple therapeutic areas and all stages of development.

“We are very excited to welcome Matt to our talented executive leadership team,” said Steven Paul, M.D., Voyager’s president and chief executive officer. “As Voyager’s business continues to expand, the fast pace and complexity of our expansion requires additional strong, cross-functional leadership that Matt has demonstrated throughout his career.  In addition to leading strategy, program and alliance management, Matt will oversee the commercial development plans of our lead and pipeline programs, including new product planning for our Parkinson’s disease program, which are critical, value-driving areas for the company.”

Mr. Ottmer joins Voyager most recently from Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where he was chief operating officer, responsible for program and alliance management, research, clinical development, pharmaceutical sciences and commercial activities since late 2015. Prior to this role, Matt spent 16 years at Biogen, Inc., in a variety of leadership roles, including as senior vice president, strategy and emerging businesses, head of Tysabri business, chief of staff to the chief executive officer, president of Syntonix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Biogen, now Bioverativ, Inc.), and vice president of global operations. Matt received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Michigan and a Master's in Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

“I am thrilled to join Voyager at this important time during the company’s evolution,” said Matthew P. Ottmer, Voyager’s chief operating officer. “Developing and implementing the initial commercial strategy and planning for VY-AADC for Parkinson’s disease is a top priority, especially as we approach the start of the pivotal program, and I look forward to helping advance our exciting pipeline programs as well.”

About Voyager Therapeutics

Voyager Therapeutics is a clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on developing life-changing treatments for severe neurological diseases. Voyager is committed to advancing the field of adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy through innovation and investment in vector engineering and optimization, manufacturing and dosing and delivery techniques. Voyager’s pipeline focuses on severe neurological diseases in need of effective new therapies, including advanced Parkinson’s disease, a monogenic form of ALS, Huntington’s disease, Friedreich’s ataxia, frontotemporal dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and severe, chronic pain.  Voyager has broad strategic collaborations with Sanofi Genzyme, the specialty care global business unit of Sanofi, and the University of Massachusetts Medical School.  Founded by scientific and clinical leaders in the fields of AAV gene therapy, expressed RNA interference and neuroscience, Voyager Therapeutics is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  For more information, please visit www.voyagertherapeutics.com. 

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements for the purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. The use of words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “undoubtedly,” “project,” “intend,” “future,” “potential,” or “continue,” and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. For example, all statements Voyager makes regarding the initiation, timing, progress and reporting of results of its preclinical programs and clinical trials and its research and development programs; its ability to advance its AAV-based gene therapies into, and successfully initiate, enroll, and complete, clinical trials; the potential clinical utility of its product candidates; its ability to continue to develop its product engine; its ability to add new programs to its pipeline; its ability to enter into new partnerships or collaborations; its expected cash, cash equivalents and marketable debt securities at the end of a fiscal year and anticipation for how long expected cash, cash equivalents and marketable debt securities will last; and the timing or likelihood of its regulatory filings and approvals are forward looking. All forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions by Voyager’s management that, although Voyager believes to be reasonable, are inherently uncertain. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those that Voyager expected.  Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, those related to the initiation and conduct of preclinical studies and clinical trials, the availability of data from clinical trials and the expectations for regulatory submissions and approvals; the continued development of the product engine; Voyager’s scientific approach and general development progress; the availability or commercial potential of Voyager’s product candidates; the sufficiency of cash resources; and need for additional financing. These statements are also subject to a number of material risks and uncertainties that are described in Voyager’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as updated by its subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it was made. Voyager undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Investor Relations:    
Matt Osborne
Vice President of Investor Relations & Corporate Communications
857-259-5353
mosborne@vygr.com  

Media:            
Katie Engleman
Pure Communications, Inc.
910-509-3977
Katie@purecommunicationsinc.com

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