SAN DIEGO, April 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ADARx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ADARx), a clinical stage biotechnology company developing next generation RNA therapeutics, today announced the appointment of Chris Storgard, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer (CMO). Dr. Storgard brings over two decades of experience across clinical development, clinical operations and pharmaceutical drug development, from early stage through product approval and commercialization, at both small and large biopharma companies.
As CMO, Dr. Storgard will lead Clinical Research, Clinical Operations, Biometrics, Pharmacovigilance and Medical Affairs. This newly-created position will lead efforts to advance ADARx's expanding pipeline of RNA targeting therapeutics, which are currently focused on addressing diseases within three key areas: genetic disorders, cardiometabolic conditions and central nervous system diseases. With three clinical stage programs and seven additional programs in research and development, Dr. Storgard's leadership and strategic direction will be instrumental in driving the progression of these programs, ultimately aiming to bring innovative treatments to patients in need.
"We are honored to welcome Chris as Chief Medical Officer—his wealth of experience and deep understanding of clinical research and operations will undoubtedly play a crucial role in steering our robust pipeline of next-generation RNA programs towards successful clinical outcomes," said Zhen Li, Ph.D., Co-Founder, President and CEO of ADARx. "With his proven ability to build, lead and inspire cross-functional teams to produce results leading to global regulatory approvals, he brings invaluable expertise to our organization. Chris's experience in the design, development, and execution of early- to late-stage clinical trials will be critical at this time as we advance several programs in multiple therapeutic categories, three of which are already in the clinic. Chris' appointment marks a significant milestone for ADARx and we look forward to further realizing the full potential of our unique RNA platform in the clinic under his guidance."
"I am very enthusiastic about joining the ADARx team especially given the potential for its clinical stage candidates that, I believe, have best-in-class profiles, and multiple expected near-term milestones this year," said Dr. Storgard. "Building on the company’s important progress to date, I am eager to contribute my expertise and collaborate with the talented ADARx team to continue to drive these programs forward, ultimately advancing our mission of delivering innovative RNA medicines to improve patient outcomes."
Prior to joining ADARx, Dr. Storgard was the CMO at Heron Therapeutics, where he played a pivotal role in driving clinical research and medical initiatives for all pipeline candidates and four marketed products in oncology supportive care and acute care franchises. Prior to Heron, Dr. Storgard was the CMO at Fate Therapeutics where he built and managed a multidisciplinary clinical development organization to execute on clinical strategy, design and execution of all clinical programs. Previously, Dr. Storgard was Vice President, Clinical Research and Development at Ardea Biosciences (acquired by AstraZeneca), and also held increasingly responsible positions at Biogen-Idec and Amgen. Prior to this, he was a Senior Associate Consultant in the Division of Rheumatology at the Mayo School of Medicine, Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, where he also served as an Assistant Professor and Member of the Molecular Medicine Program from 2001 to 2004. Dr. Storgard has a BSc in biology and an MD from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. Dr. Storgard completed a fellowship in rheumatology at Scripps Clinic and Research Center in San Diego, CA.
About ADARx Pharmaceuticals
ADARx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a clinical stage biotechnology company committed to turning cutting-edge science into life-saving therapeutics. ADARx has developed proprietary RNA delivery platforms and technology for silencing or editing target mRNA. ADARx has a growing pipeline of RNA therapeutics for treating diseases across a range of therapeutic areas including genetic, cardiovascular, complement-mediated and central nervous system diseases. Follow ADARx on LinkedIn.
