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Progentos Therapeutics Names Paul Frohna Chief Medical Officer

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Progentos Therapeutics Names Paul Frohna Chief Medical Officer
News

News

Progentos Therapeutics Names Paul Frohna Chief Medical Officer

2025-10-07 19:29 Last Updated At:19:41

WATERTOWN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 7, 2025--

Progentos Therapeutics, a biotech company addressing the critical unmet need to regenerate myelin and restore function for patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and other demyelinating diseases, today announced that Paul Frohna, MD, PhD, has been named Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Frohna brings more than two decades of leadership as a physician-scientist and deep expertise in translational medicine, clinical development, and regulatory affairs, having led the development and subsequent approval of therapeutics for MS, fibrotic disease and cancer.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251007509841/en/

“Paul’s leadership in MS drug development and demonstrated ability to move novel science through the clinic and to approval, makes him a great fit as we advance our lead program for remyelination,” said Christopher Loose, PhD, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Progentos. “With a promising development candidate in hand, we are eager to begin clinical studies and to meet the need of MS patients who today have no treatments to restore and repair the myelin needed to prevent further disability.”

Dr. Frohna has successfully designed and initiated translational and clinical programs for biologics, small molecules, and peptides, and has contributed to five approved medicines. He began his industry career at Genentech where he was clinical lead for the Rituxan Phase 2 program for relapsing and primary progressive MS. There he patented the use of B-cell depleting therapy for MS, which later led to the development of ocrelizumab. He went on to be Vice President of Clinical Development at Fibrogen and later the Chief Medical Officer at Profibrix, before joining Receptos as Vice President of Clinical Development and Translational Medicine, where he oversaw clinical development of ozanimod (ZEPOSIA®) for relapsing MS and other immunology programs. He subsequently held CMO roles at ImCheck Therapeutics and Endeavor Biosciences before becoming a consulting CMO for emerging biotech companies.

“Developing an agent to induce remyelination of axons affected by MS is the next frontier in treating this disease. The Progentos team has shown unparalleled pre-clinical data, and I look forward to advancing its first-in-class development candidate to the clinic in the near term,” said Dr. Frohna. “In my career I have had opportunity to help develop medicines that today are part of the standard of care for MS. It is clear, however, that patients continue to need treatments to reverse and potentially repair the damage caused by MS. I believe Progentos has the potential to address this unmet need and to develop a range of other regenerative therapies with few or no treatment options.”

Dr. Frohna received his medical degree from Georgetown University, a PhD in pharmacology from the University of Pennsylvania, and a pharmacy degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a board director for Accure Therapeutics and on the scientific and clinical advisory board for IAMA Therapeutics, which focuses on developing novel neurotherapeutics. He has been published in leading scientific journals and is an author on more than sixty publications.

About Progentos Therapeutics

Progentos is developing first-in-class compounds to induce endogenous oligodendrocyte progenitor cells to remyelinate axons in patients suffering from MS and other demyelinating diseases. Combining expertise in chemistry, biology and in vivo models, Progentos discovers and develops novel small-molecule drugs to regenerate tissues in patients with degenerative diseases. The company was funded by a syndicate of investors led by Forbion and has operations in Watertown, MA, USA and Naarden, The Netherlands. More information can be found at www.progentos.com.

Dr. Paul Frohna, Chief Medical Officer, Progentos Therapeutics

Dr. Paul Frohna, Chief Medical Officer, Progentos Therapeutics

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison Friday in the first verdict from eight criminal trials over the martial law debacle that forced him out of office and other allegations.

Yoon was impeached, arrested and dismissed as president after his short-lived imposition of martial law in December 2024 triggered huge public protests calling for his ouster.

The most significant criminal charge against him alleges that his martial law enforcement amounted to a rebellion, and the independent counsel has requested the death sentence in the case that is to be decided in a ruling next month.

In Friday's case, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Yoon for defying attempts to detain him, fabricating the martial law proclamation and sidestepping a legally mandated full Cabinet meeting.

Yoon has maintained he didn’t intend to place the country under military rule for an extended period, saying his decree was only meant to inform the people about the danger of the liberal-controlled parliament obstructing his agenda. But investigators have viewed Yoon’s decree as an attempt to bolster and prolong his rule, charging him with rebellion, abuse of power and other criminal offenses.

Judge Baek Dae-hyun said in the televised ruling that imposing “a grave punishment” was necessary because Yoon hasn’t shown remorse and has only repeated “hard-to-comprehend excuses.” The judge also restoring legal systems damaged by Yoon’s action was necessary.

Yoon, who can appeal the ruling, hasn’t immediately publicly responded to the ruling. But when the independent counsel demanded a 10-year prison term in the case, Yoon’s defense team accused them of being politically driven and lacking legal grounds to demand such “an excessive” sentence.

Prison sentences in the multiple, smaller trials Yoon faces would matter if he is spared the death penalty or life imprisonment at the rebellion trial.

Park SungBae, a lawyer who specializes in criminal law, said there is little chance the court would decide Yoon should face the death penalty in the rebellion case. He said the court will likely issue a life sentence or a sentence of 30 years or more in prison.

South Korea has maintained a de facto moratorium on executions since 1997 and courts rarely hand down death sentences. Park said the court would take into account that Yoon’s decree didn’t cause casualties and didn’t last long, although Yoon hasn’t shown genuine remorse for his action.

A supporter of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol shouts slogans outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A supporter of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol shouts slogans outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs and flags outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs and flags outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A supporter of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol waits for a bus carrying former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A supporter of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol waits for a bus carrying former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs as police officers stand guard outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs as police officers stand guard outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs and flags outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs and flags outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A picture of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is placed on a board as supporters gather outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A picture of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is placed on a board as supporters gather outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

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