LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ReViral Ltd., a clinical-stage company focused on developing novel, antiviral compounds that target respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), today announced the appointment of Alan A. Musso to the position of Chief Financial Officer, effective October 21, 2019. Mr. Musso, who brings more than 30 years of financial and operational leadership experience in both publicly-traded and private biopharma companies, will succeed Max Herrmann who will remain with the company in a consulting capacity to ensure a seamless transition.
“Alan is an exceptional addition to the ReViral team,” said Alex C. Sapir, CEO of ReViral. “His distinguished track record of building finance and accounting organizations at several leading biopharma companies, along with his experience raising capital in both private and public settings will be invaluable as the company enters its next stage of development with our lead product, sisunatovir. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Max for his hard work and dedication to ReViral over the past five years and am delighted that he has agreed to remain in a consulting capacity to ensure a seamless transition.”
Mr. Musso joins ReViral from Peloton Therapeutics, Inc., a company focused on the discovery and development of novel small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. During his tenure as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer at Peloton, the company completed a $150 million mezzanine financing and was poised for an initial public offering, when the company accepted an acquisition offer from Merck & Co. Prior to Peloton, Mr. Musso served as the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer at several biopharmaceutical companies, including Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Targacept, and Osiris Pharmaceuticals. Mr. Musso spent the early part of his career as a senior internal auditor at Pfizer as well as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) at KPMG International. Mr. Musso received a B.S. in Accounting from Saint Mary's College of California, and a master's degree from the American Graduate School of International Management.
“I am delighted to be joining ReViral at such a dynamic time, as the company continues to build on its pipeline of innovative and life-changing treatments for RSV,” said Mr. Musso. “I look forward to working with the ReViral team to bring our therapies to patients around the world.”
Notes to Editors
About ReViral
ReViral is a clinical-stage company focused on developing novel, anti-viral compounds that target respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Founded in 2011, ReViral has an experienced R&D leadership team with a successful track record in antiviral drug discovery and development. The company has developed a novel antiviral programme targeting RSV fusion with highly potent, orally bioavailable inhibitors, strong drug-like characteristics and good pharmacokinetic properties offering versatility in the route of administration. The lead candidate, sisunatovir, completed a Phase 2a trial in adult volunteers, showing high potency and was well tolerated. The company also has an RSV replication programme at an earlier stage of development and plans to expand its pipeline. In July 2018, ReViral completed a $55 million Series B funding round from a group of leading venture capital investors jointly led by New Leaf Venture Partners and Novo Ventures, part of Novo Holdings A/S, with additional new investment from Perceptive Advisors. Existing investors Andera Partners, OrbiMed and Brace Pharma Capital also participated in the fundraising.
About Sisunatovir
Sisunatovir is an orally administered, small molecule fusion inhibitor being evaluated for the treatment of RSV. Sisunatovir blocks RSV replication by inhibiting RSV F-mediated fusion of RSV with the host cell. Preclinical tests showed sisunatovir to have an excellent toxicity profile with an attractive therapeutic index. In Phase 1 clinical studies, sisunatovir showed excellent exposure with no serious adverse events being reported. In 2018, sisunatovir generated positive results in a Phase 2a challenge trial in healthy adult volunteers, producing statistically significant reductions in viral load and clinical symptoms.
About Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
RSV is a pathogen that infects the human respiratory tract, potentially leading to bronchiolitis and pneumonia. While most (but not all) otherwise healthy people recover from the virus, there is an increased risk of severe disease and death in premature infants, individuals with certain pulmonary conditions, the elderly and those who are immune suppressed. In the United States, nearly all children become infected with RSV by age 2, with 75,000 to 125,000 of them hospitalized each year. Globally, RSV affects an estimated 64 million people and causes 160,000 deaths each year.
For more information, please visit http://www.reviral.co.uk
