Therese Kinsella

Therese Kinsella PhD MRIA, Founder & CEO, ATXA Therapeutics Ltd (ATXA), is also Professor of Biochemistry, University College Dublin. Therese is an internationally recognized expert in the field of prostanoid biology, focusing the role of thromboxane & prostacyclin in the vasculature and on thromboxane in certain cancers. She has published extensively in top peer-reviewed journals.

As Founder & CEO of ATXA, Therese is inventor on an extensive portfolio of patents (composition-of-matter and methods-of-use patents) on the discovery of novel first-in-class small-molecule Thromboxane Receptor (TP) antagonist drugs. ATXA, is a clinical-stage pharma company focussed on advancing these proprietary TP antagonists to the clinic for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) and related cardiopulmonary diseases, including heart failure, to serve key unmet medical needs in these vital areas. ATXA's lead drug is NTP42 and has a proprietary drugs pipeline with platform uses to treat many other diseases with high unmet clinical needs & blockbuster potential. Since ATXA's foundation, Therese has over-seen the granting of Orphan Designation for NTP42 in PAH by both the EMA & FDA (in 2018) and the recent successful completion of a Phase 1 clinical trial using an orally active formulated NTP42 drug product in 2021/2022.

Aside from her academic background, Therese has >15 yrs expertise in drug-discovery & drug-development from target identification to generation & characterization of novel TP antagonist drugs, to efficacy evaluations to prioritize target markets.

In recognition of her contribution to research, Therese has received numerous awards including the Royal Irish Academy Medal in Biochemistry (2000); she was elected Member Royal Irish Academy (MRIA, 2006) and received the Biochemical Society (IAS) Gold Medal (2008). She has extensive expertise in securing R&D funding and inward investment at ATXA including securing a prestigious European Union SME-Instrument grant in 2018. She also secured several commercialization-type grants from Enterprise Ireland which enabled the early-stage drug-discovery and pre-clinical efficacy program that led to the discovery of ATXA's lead drug NTP42 and to prioritization of its target markets.

Throughout her career, Therese has acted as expert consultant to large pharma, biotech & life science venture capital funds. Having begun her research career in industry (Guinness), Therese has a strong appreciation of the underlying processes of product/drug development, including associated challenges.