Latest news with #Orna
The Guardian
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
TV tonight: hit show Couples Therapy just keeps getting better
11pm, BBC Two The vulnerability of the clients and the utmost professionalism of Dr Orna (compared to other 'experts' on reality shows) is what makes this therapy show such a hit. This week, though, it's Orna who lets her guard down when one couple quits: 'When patients just get up and leave, I do a lot of self-examination. Should/could I have? It's not easy.' This adds another fascinating new layer, but she's quickly back to helping the other couples get on track. Hollie Richardson 7pm, Channel 5 A second series starts with JLS star turned farmer JB Gill heading to Wales, where he meets a farmer using daffodils to make an unusual medicine. Meanwhile, up north in Barnsley, brothers Rob and Dave Nicholson pick sloes from their farm hedgerows to turn into chocolate. HR 8pm, Channel 5 It's the last visit to Reuben Owen's farm in the Dales for this second series and things get very busy as spring has arrived. That means it's lambing season! So while his partner, Jess, deals with a chaotic number of deliveries, Owen and the rest of the team have to handle a huge order of cropped stones, which need to be hand-finished. HR 10pm, Channel 4 The chicken coop of an isolated Leicestershire farmhouse seems an unlikely setting for murder, but it was here that wealthy businessman Ken Brown was shot dead, at point blank range, one August evening in 1994. Now, Silent Witness star Emilia Fox is following the clues, along with ex-detective Dr Graham Hill and criminologist David Wilson. Ellen E Jones 10pm, BBC Four It's been 30 years since the Bafta-winning documentary series about the breakup of Yugoslavia was released. Film-maker Norma Percy and producer Angus MacQueen tell the extraordinary story of how they made it, ahead of it airing again. HR 10.05pm, ITV2 Jordan Gray's supermarket sitcom with a gender-fluid twist continues. While manager Simon (Nick Frost) has encouraged Olivia (Gray) to be 'as loud and proud as you like', there's grim pushback as transphobic graffiti is discovered in the women's toilets. Tom is given the job of unmasking the culprit. Phil Harrison The Wicker Man (Robin Hardy, 1973), 11.50pm, BBC TwoDon't worry, this isn't the Nicolas Cage one with the bees. This is Robin Hardy's superlative 1973 original, in which Edward Woodward travels to a remote Scottish island full of pagans and slowly comes to learn he's in over his head. A masterpiece of folk horror, brimming with uncomfortable eeriness, The Wicker Man has left a long and impressive legacy. There is more than a fighting chance this was scheduled to capitalise on the popularity of 28 Years Later. If that's the case, it's a very smart move, because the fingerprints of this are all over that. Stuart Heritage
Associated Press
31-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Orna Therapeutics Appoints Joseph Bolen, Ph.D., as Chief Executive Officer
-- Dr. Bolen has an established track record advancing disruptive medicines from the clinic through approval -- WATERTOWN, Mass., March 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Orna Therapeutics, a biotechnology company dedicated to engineering immune cells in vivo to treat oncology and autoimmune diseases, today announced the appointment of Joseph Bolen, Ph.D., as Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Bolen most recently served as Orna's Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) and succeeds Amit Munshi who is stepping aside for personal reasons. Orna expects to initiate clinical studies in 2026 for its two wholly owned, potentially best-in-class in vivo panCAR assets, including its CD19 program for B cell-driven autoimmune diseases and a BCMA program for multiple myeloma. In addition to its wholly owned pipeline, Orna has secured two major, potentially multi-billion-dollar pharma partnerships with Merck for the development of vaccines and therapeutics in infectious disease and oncology and with Vertex for next generation approaches to sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia. 'At its core, Orna is a science driven organization that has greatly benefited from Joe's breadth and depth of drug development expertise,' said Ansbert Gadicke, M.D., Chairman of Orna and Managing Partner of MPM BioImpact. 'This is the perfect time for Joe to take the helm as Orna advances both its proprietary programs in autoimmune and oncology to the clinic. Joe's scientific expertise and organizational leadership capabilities, in conjunction with the Company's strong cash position, will enable us to achieve key milestones across our wholly owned and partnered programs.' Dr. Gadicke continued, 'Amit leaves Orna in a strong position and we would like to express our deep appreciation for his commitment and contributions.' Dr. Bolen joined Orna through its acquisition of ReNAgade Therapeutics and has served as CSO since November 2024, concurrent to his role as an Entrepreneur Partner at MPM BioImpact. Prior to Orna, Dr. Bolen served in leadership roles at ReNAgade Therapeutics. Previously, he oversaw all aspects of R&D for Moderna Therapeutics as CSO and President of Research and Development. Before Moderna, Dr. Bolen was CSO at Millennium Pharmaceuticals and Global Head of Oncology Research at Takeda Pharmaceutical Company. Earlier in his career, he held senior R&D positions at Hoechst Marion Roussel, Schering-Plough (DNAX) and Bristol Myers Squibb. Dr. Bolen began his career at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He earned a Ph.D. in Immunology and conducted his postdoctoral training in molecular virology at Kansas State University Cancer Center. He graduated from the University of Nebraska with a B.S. in Microbiology and Chemistry. 'I am excited to lead our world-class team, as we advance some of the most transformative science I've seen in my 35-year career in this industry. Our leading circular RNA paired with our potentially best-in-class delivery technologies hold the potential to overcome the limitations of existing ex-vivo technologies and deliver large-scale impact to patients across a range of diseases,' said Dr. Bolen. 'With robust data in hand demonstrating our ability to deliver and engineer immune cells in vivo, our focus is now on advancing our first two panCAR programs into the clinic in 2026 and continuing to progress our pharma partnerships. I look forward to leading our team through this next exciting chapter of the Company's growth as we unlock the potential of RNA medicines.' About Orna Therapeutics Orna Therapeutics is dedicated to designing and delivering a new class of fully engineered circular RNA (oRNA®) therapeutics to unlock the potential of RNA medicine to treat diseases anywhere in the body. Orna's circular RNA transcripts have advantages over traditional mRNA approaches, including simplified production, improved formulation into lipid nanoparticles, and superior protein expression. Its industry-leading LNP-based delivery systems and comprehensive editing programs position Orna to advance novel RNA medicines with vast potential to transform patient care. To learn more, visit and follow Orna Therapeutics on X and LinkedIn.
Associated Press
27-01-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Averna Therapeutics, formerly known as Exsilio Therapeutics, Appoints Thomas M. Barnes, Ph.D., as Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Barnes brings more than 25 years of biotech leadership expertise and a proven track record in advancing transformative early-stage therapies Interim CEO Tal Zaks, M.D., Ph.D., to continue as executive chair BOSTON, Jan. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Averna Therapeutics, Inc. ('Averna"; formerly known as Exsilio Therapeutics, Inc.), a biotechnology company developing genomic medicines that insert therapeutic changes into the genome, today announced the appointment of Thomas M. Barnes, Ph.D., as chief executive officer (CEO) and director. Dr. Barnes brings more than 25 years of biotech industry leadership experience, with a proven track record of advancing innovative therapies, most recently as the CEO of Orna Therapeutics. Dr. Barnes replaces Tal Zaks, M.D., Ph.D., who served as interim CEO and will continue as the executive chairman of Averna's board. 'Tom has an extraordinary talent for transforming groundbreaking science into scalable biotechnology companies focused on developing entirely new ways of treating disease,' said Dr. Zaks. 'His ability to lead the translation of scientific innovation into real-world medicines is unparalleled. We are excited to have Tom at the helm as we develop our RNA/LNP-based genomic medicines.' Averna is developing RNA/lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-based genomic medicines to insert genes into 'safe harbor' sites in the genome – places where a gene can be inserted safely and without disrupting normal cell function. 'The ability to insert therapeutic genetic material into the genome in a safe and durable way is the last great missing tool from the genetic medicine toolkit, and I have been deeply impressed by the progress the team has made under Tal's leadership,' said Dr. Barnes. 'Averna is now poised to complete that toolkit and deploy it where it will have the greatest impact. I'm proud to work with and expand the talented team at Averna to advance our therapeutic programs and deliver meaningful solutions for patients.' Dr. Barnes most recently served as CEO of Orna Therapeutics Inc., an RNA/LNP company pioneering the use of circular RNA payloads combined with immune cell LNP delivery. During his tenure, Orna raised more than $450 million and established a major collaboration agreement with Merck, that was then the largest deal for a preclinical company in biotech history. With Orna's acquisition of ReNAgade Therapeutics Inc., he transitioned the CEO role to Amit D. Munshi, CEO of ReNAgade. Dr. Barnes also served as an Entrepreneur Partner at MPM BioImpact. Prior to Orna, as chief scientific officer and a member of the founding team at Intellia Therapeutics Inc., he established the discovery team and led efforts to expand the company's CRISPR platform, helping to raise more than $300 million including through its initial public offering. Earlier in his career Dr. Barnes also co-founded or played a key role in launching several biotech companies, including Eleven Biotherapeutics. Dr. Barnes earned his doctorate from the University of Cambridge and completed research fellowships at Harvard Medical School and McGill University. Company Changes Name from Exsilio Therapeutics to Averna Therapeutics In addition to the appointment of the new CEO, the company has changed its name from Exsilio Therapeutics to Averna Therapeutics. Recently, the company was named as one of BioSpace's '25 Promising New Biopharma Companies to Watch in 2025.' About Averna Therapeutics Averna Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing RNA/lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-based genomic medicines to durably and safely treat a broad range of diseases, including genetic diseases, cancer, and autoimmune conditions. Averna's proprietary technology is based on a natural system and inserts therapeutic genetic instructions into 'safe harbor' sites in the genome – genomic regions that allow stable gene integration without disrupting normal cell function. Because Averna's medicines are encoded in RNA, they can be delivered using validated, non-viral delivery platforms that are safe, efficient, scalable, and cost-effective, and that allow redosing to effect with a curative intent. For more information, please visit
