Sue Fletcher

In addition to her role as Chief Scientific Officer at PYC, Professor Sue Fletcher is a Senior principal Research Fellow at Murdoch University.

Sue obtained a BSc in Zoology and Chemistry at the University of Zimbabwe and a PhD in Physiology at the University of Western Australia. Professor Fletcher’s research at The University of Western Australia and Australian Neuromuscular Research Institute (currently the Perron Institute) was as a molecular biologist, studying muscle regeneration and developing therapies for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Professor Fletcher together with Prof. Steve Wilton pioneered the development of a novel therapy for the devastating childhood disorder, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, through the design of antisense oligonucleotide therapies.

In 2016, the USA Food and Drug Administration gave accelerated approval to one of Prof. Fletcher and Prof. Wilton’s compounds, called Exondys-51 (previously Eteplirsen). This is the first dystrophin restoring drug of its type ever approved by the FDA. This has been followed by a second compound, Vyondys-53 (previously Golodirsen), gaining approval in 2019, for the treatment of a different sub-type of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Prof. Fletcher continues her Neuromuscular research alongside research in other muscle diseases, neurodegenerative disease and Inherited Retinal Dystrophies.