AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 16, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aeglea BioTherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AGLE), a biotechnology company committed to developing enzyme-based therapeutics in the field of amino acid metabolism to treat rare genetic diseases and cancer, today announced the appointment of Suzanne L. Bruhn, Ph.D. to its Board of Directors. Dr. Bruhn previously served as chief executive officer, president and director at Promedior, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company, from 2012 to 2015.

“Suzanne’s depth of experience in the early-stage biotechnology space and expertise in orphan diseases will be a valuable addition to our Board,” said David G. Lowe, Ph.D., co-founder, president and chief executive officer of Aeglea. “Her insights and guidance will be a tremendous asset as we further our clinical programs in order to pursue our mission of developing treatments for patients with rare genetic diseases and cancer.”

During her time at Promedior, Dr. Bruhn focused the company’s strategy on clinical development for orphan diseases and negotiated the grant of an exclusive option to acquire Promedior to Bristol-Myers Squibb Company in 2015. Prior to Promedior, Dr. Bruhn held a number of roles in strategic and portfolio planning, program management and regulatory affairs at Shire Human Genetic Therapies, formerly known as Transkaryotic Therapies, between 1998 and 2012. She also served on the board of directors of Raptor Pharmaceuticals Corp., a biotechnology company focused on treating rare metabolic disorders, from 2011 until it was sold to Horizon Pharma plc in October 2016. Dr. Bruhn earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Iowa State University of Science and Technology and her Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

About Aeglea BioTherapeutics
Aeglea is a biotechnology company committed to developing enzyme-based therapeutics in the field of amino acid metabolism to treat rare genetic diseases and cancer. The company’s engineered human enzymes are designed to modulate the extremes of amino acid metabolism in the blood to reduce toxic levels of amino acids in inborn errors of metabolism or target tumor metabolism for cancer treatment. AEB1102, Aeglea’s lead product candidate, is currently being studied in two ongoing Phase 1 clinical trials in patients with advanced solid tumors and acute myeloid leukemia/myelodysplastic syndrome (AML/MDS). Additionally, Aeglea is recruiting patients into its ongoing Phase 1/2 trial of AEB1102 for the treatment of patients with Arginase I deficiency. The company is building a pipeline of additional product candidates targeting key amino acids, including AEB4104, which degrades homocystine, a target for an inborn error of metabolism, as well as two potential treatments for cancer, AEB3103, which degrades cysteine/cystine, and AEB2109, which degrades methionine. For more information, please visit http://aegleabio.com.