AIRNA, a biotech company pioneering RNA editing therapeutics to restore the health of patients with rare and common diseases, today announced the appointment of Matthew Hawryluk, Ph.D., MBA, as Chief Business Officer. Dr. Hawryluk brings vast leadership experience in the life sciences sector, with a proven track record of bridging scientific innovation and commercial application.
"Matt is a tremendous addition to our leadership team, bringing extensive experience driving collaborations and leading high-performing teams," said Kris Elverum, President and CEO of AIRNA. "Matt joins us at a critical time, as we prepare to bring our first RNA editing therapeutic to the clinic. We have the potential to offer a differentiated solution for patients suffering from alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency by targeting the genetic cause of the disease, and to extend the potential of RNA editing into larger patient populations by introducing healthy variants."
Dr. Hawryluk joins AIRNA from Gritstone bio, where he most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer, building strategic partnerships and business development initiatives. Prior to Gritstone, Dr. Hawryluk held senior roles in corporate and business development at Foundation Medicine, and positions in product management, strategy, business development, and marketing across multiple divisions of Thermo Fisher Scientific. Dr. Hawryluk also serves on the Board of Directors at Predictive Oncology (NASDAQ:POAI) and Pear Bio, and was recognized as one of PharmaVoice's 2023 Standout Execs.
"I was drawn to AIRNA because of its bold mission to harness RNA editing as a functional cure for a wide range of diseases," said Dr. Hawryluk. "As a pioneer in the field, AIRNA has the unique potential to both reverse disease-driving mutations and introduce genetically validated, healthy variants that counteract drivers of disease."
AIRNA also announced that Colleen Tucker joined the company as Head of People. Ms. Tucker has deep experience across the biotech industry leading human resources and implementing strategies and programs that support the goals of the business, including leadership roles at Akouos, Entasis Therapeutics, and Momenta Pharmaceuticals.
About AIRNA
AIRNA is at the forefront of RNA editing therapeutic discovery and development, aiming to transform the lives of patients with inherited disorders. RNA editing offers the precision of genomic medicine approaches while maintaining the treatment convenience, flexibility, and reversibility of biologic drugs. Our proprietary RESTORE+™ platform is based on groundbreaking research by academic co-founders Thorsten Stafforst (University of Tübingen) and Jin Billy Li (Stanford University), who were the first to elucidate a therapeutic approach for precise editing of RNA.
AIRNA's lead program focuses on alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), and its robust pipeline addresses multiple diseases with high unmet needs. AIRNA has headquarters in Cambridge, MA, with research operations in Tübingen, Germany. Learn more at https://airna.com/.
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Investors:
Lena Fischer
Vice President, Finance & Operations
AIRNA
[email protected]
Media:
Julie Perlin
Ten Bridge Communications
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