Arnon Rosenthal

Arnon Rosenthal is the current director at Alector. Prior to this, they were the co-founder, former CEO, and former board chair at Annexon Pharmaceuticals from August 2011 to January 2017.

Annexon's focus is on the development of drugs that inhibit the classical complement cascade. This is a part of the innate immune system that is highly activated in many systemic and nervous system disorders.

In particular, C1q, the first protein within the classical complement cascade, has been shown to target and coat synapses that have been weakened by pathological processes. This includes those within the brain associated with Alzheimer's Disease, in the retina associated with glaucoma, and in the spinal cord following acute injury.

The complement cascade becomes activated it leads to elimination of these and neighboring synapse by microglial cells, which are a class of immune cells in the brain. Because of the extensive (and otherwise unexplained) loss of synapses in these disorders, the complement cascade has emerged as an exciting new therapeutic target.

Arnon Rosenthal has been instrumental in developing Annexon Pharmaceuticals into a leading company in this field. Arnon's work has helped to improve the lives of countless people suffering from neurodegenerative disorders.

Arnon Rosenthal received their Doctor of Philosophy from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.