CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Disarm Therapeutics, a biotechnology company creating a new class of disease-modifying therapeutics for patients with axonal degeneration, a central driver of neurological disease, today announced the appointment of Alvin Shih, M.D., MBA, as President and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Shih’s experience includes leadership roles advancing multiple therapeutic modalities across the full spectrum of development, from early-stage discovery and translational work to late-stage clinical and post-marketing efforts.
“Disarm has created a powerful product engine and is advancing a new class of disease-modifying therapeutics for patients with diseases of the central, peripheral, and ocular nervous systems,” said Jason Rhodes, partner with Atlas Venture and Disarm Co-founder and Board of Directors Chairman. “We are excited to welcome Alvin to Disarm. He brings exceptional leadership skills and biopharma experience to the company as we prepare for the next phase of growth and product development.”
“Disarm’s work to understand and modulate SARM1, the central driver of axonal degeneration, has the potential to impact a broad range of diseases such as multiple sclerosis, ALS, and peripheral neuropathies,” said Dr. Shih. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to lead a very talented team at Disarm as we work to develop transformative medicines for patients with neurological diseases.”
Dr. Shih brings more than 15 years of clinical and drug development experience to Disarm. He was most recently CEO of Enzyvant Therapeutics, where he drove the filing of a Biologics License Application (BLA) for RVT-802, the first-ever therapy to be granted both Breakthrough Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designations by the FDA. Prior to Enzyvant, Dr. Shih was Executive Vice President and Head of R&D at Retrophin, where he managed the development and progress of a diverse pipeline encompassing rare neurological and renal diseases. Earlier in his career, Dr. Shih was a founding member of the Pfizer Rare Disease Research Unit in Cambridge, Mass. Prior to joining Pfizer, Dr. Shih was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company and L.E.K. Consulting. He holds an M.D. from the University of Alabama School of Medicine and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He completed his residency training in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.
About Disarm Therapeutics
Disarm Therapeutics is a biotechnology company that is creating a new class of disease-modifying therapeutics for patients with axonal degeneration, a central driver of neurological disease-causing disability and disease progression. By inhibiting the SARM1 protein, identified by the company’s scientific founders as the central driver of axonal degeneration, these therapeutics may prevent the loss of axons in chronic and acute diseases of the central, ocular, and peripheral nervous systems. For a broad range of diseases including multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, glaucoma, and peripheral neuropathies, the therapeutic goal is to prevent further degeneration, stabilize disease, and allow for functional recovery. Disarm was founded by Atlas Venture, Dr. Jeffrey Milbrandt and Dr. Aaron DiAntonio of Washington University in St. Louis, and a team of exceptional scientists and drug developers committed to developing a new treatment paradigm for patients with neurological diseases. For more information, please visit www.disarmtx.com.