Voyager Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: VYGR) announced that its board of directors has appointed Robin Swartz as president, effective October 20, 2026, with plans for her to succeed Alfred W. Sandrock, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., as chief executive officer in Q1 2027.

Swartz, who previously served as chief business officer and chief operating officer at Voyager, joined the company in 2021. Before that, she spent 26 years at Genzyme Corporation and Sanofi Genzyme in roles spanning commercial, development, business operations, strategy, and finance.

Dr. Sandrock is expected to remain CEO until Voyager receives initial acute safety data from a clinical trial of VY1706, its investigational tau silencing gene therapy for adults with early Alzheimer's disease. That data readout is anticipated in Q1 2027, pending patient enrollment. Following the transition, Dr. Sandrock is expected to continue as a member of Voyager's board of directors.

"Robin brings a deep understanding of Voyager as well as extensive experience spanning development, operations, business strategy, and commercialization," said Michael Higgins, chairman of Voyager's board of directors.

Swartz said she is "honored by the Board's confidence" in her ability to lead the company, adding that Voyager's focus is on "translating that potential into medicines for patients."

Voyager's pipeline includes programs targeting Alzheimer's disease, Friedreich's ataxia, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, among other central nervous system conditions. The company has partnerships with Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease, Novartis Pharma AG, and Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.