Woburn, Massachusetts, United States, December 2025 – Jeff Kasten has been appointed as the Chief Business Officer at Vertero Therapeutics, Inc., marking a significant addition to the company’s executive leadership team as it advances its innovative pipeline targeting neurodegenerative diseases.
Prior to this appointment, Jeff Kasten served at Sage Therapeutics for nearly eight years in multiple senior roles. Most recently, he was Vice President, Corporate/Portfolio Strategy & Business Development, where he played a pivotal role in portfolio advancement and business development initiatives. Before that, he held roles including Vice President, Corporate Strategy, New Product Planning, and Portfolio & Product Management, as well as Senior Director, Head of New Product Planning.
Before joining Sage, Jeff spent over a decade at Biogen Idec, where he rose to the position of Senior Director, Head of New Product Commercialization & RITUXAN® Strategic Marketing. His tenure also included roles such as Director, Commercial Assessments & Disease Strategies and Associate Director, Early Neurology Pipeline, underscoring his deep expertise in product strategy and commercialization in the biotech industry.
Earlier in his career, he was associated with Putnam Associates for five years, focusing on market strategy, product positioning, and licensing valuations across therapeutic areas such as oncology, cardiology, and immunology. Jeff also worked at Bain & Company in various capacities over a span of nine years, gaining experience in private equity, life sciences, and corporate strategy across multiple sectors.
He holds an MBA in Strategic Management from MIT Sloan School of Management, further strengthening his foundation in business and strategy.
About Vertero Therapeutics, Inc.
Vertero Therapeutics is pioneering science beyond the brain to treat neurodegenerative diseases at their source. The company focuses on developing differentiated therapies that target the peripheral nervous system, aiming to delay onset and slow progression of complex neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. Its lead program, VT-5006, targets a validated gut-based mechanism associated with protein aggregation and inflammation. Vertero is preparing to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial for this compound. Additionally, the company is advancing an early-stage program targeting bile acid dysregulation for undisclosed indications.
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