NORFOLK, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ReAlta Life Sciences, Inc. ("ReAlta" or the “Company”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to saving lives by rebalancing the inflammatory response to address rare and acute inflammatory diseases, today announced two distinguished biopharmaceutical veterans to lead the Company: David Marek appointed as Chief Executive Officer and Paolo Martini, Ph.D., appointed as Chief Research and Development Officer.
“As ReAlta evolves into a late-stage development company with multiple clinical programs spanning three distinct therapeutic areas with significant unmet need, I am confident that David and Paolo are the ideal leaders for these two pivotal roles,” said Edward A. Heidt, Jr., Chairperson of ReAlta’s Board of Directors. “David has a strong track record of success driving business transformation including leading an organization with one of the most successful buyouts in recent years, while Paolo’s deep expertise in leading-edge drug discovery and development across an array of therapeutic areas, including rare diseases, will position ReAlta well as we look ahead to delivering potentially life-saving medications for patients with rare and acute inflammatory diseases.”
“It’s rare to find a company so well positioned with a novel scientific approach to take on one of the great challenges in human health – inflammation. Although a key aspect of the body’s immune defenses, inflammation also has significant involvement in the disease process of many conditions and diseases that account for more than half of all deaths globally,” said Mr. Marek. “I am excited to bring my energy and experience to serve as the CEO of ReAlta and am proud to work alongside team members who work tirelessly to break new ground in advancing our mission on behalf of patients.”
“The design of ReAlta’s investigational medicines are inspired by nature – specifically a human enteric virus which has adapted over one billion years of evolution to mitigate inflammation through a dual targeting mechanism that modulates both complement and innate inflammatory pathways. By inhibiting activation of the complement cascade and the neutrophil-driven mechanisms of inflammation and host tissue destruction, ReAlta’s EPICC peptide platform has the potential to provide new hope for patients with rare and acute inflammatory diseases,” said Dr. Martini. “I look forward to advancing our pipeline and to unlocking new opportunities alongside the ReAlta team.”
About David Marek
David Marek is a veteran biopharmaceutical executive with more than 30 years of successful industry experience. Mr. Marek previously served as Chief Executive Officer and as a Board Director of Myovant Sciences, Inc., where he led the evolution from clinical-stage to commercial-stage with three commercial launches of therapeutics focused on hormone-sensitive oncology and women’s health prior to the company’s sale to Sumitovant Biopharma Ltd. Prior to Myovant, Mr. Marek served as Chief Commercial Officer of Axsome Therapeutics, where he led the buildout of commercial capabilities in preparation for anticipated product launches. Before joining Axsome, Mr. Marek held the position of General Manager of the Neuroscience business unit at Amgen, where he led the U.S. launch of Aimovig® for migraine prevention. Before Amgen, Mr. Marek served in a number of leadership roles including Executive Vice President, Consumer Services for WebMD Health Corp. and Managing Director of Saatchi & Saatchi Healthcare Advertising. Mr. Marek began his career at Eli Lilly and Company, followed by AstraZeneca, where he served in a variety of marketing and sales roles. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Washington State University.
About Paolo Martini
Paolo Martini, Ph.D., brings more than 25 years of experience in drug discovery and development. Formerly, Dr. Martini served as Chief Scientific Officer and founder of Moderna Rare Diseases at Moderna, Inc., leading a team focused on identifying novel therapies and applying translational approaches for drug development in rare diseases and hematological disorders. Prior to Moderna, Dr. Martini was Senior Director of discovery biology and translational research at Shire Pharmaceutical. He played a key role in the launch of V-Priv® (velaglucerase alpha) for Gaucher disease and Firazyr® for hemoangioedema, and he supported Phase 1 and 2 clinical studies for lysosomal storage and chronic kidney diseases. Dr. Martini is the author of more than 50 publications in high-impact peer-reviewed journals. He serves as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Certa Therapeutics (Melbourne, AUS), Gingko Bioworks (Boston, MA), and the Institute of Life Changing Medicines (USA), a non-profit organization focusing on CN1 (Crigler-Najjar disease type 1). He studied at the University of Milano in Italy and graduated with a Ph.D. in Molecular Endocrinology.
About ReAlta Life Sciences
ReAlta Life Sciences, Inc. is a clinical mid-stage biotech company dedicated to saving lives by rebalancing the inflammatory response to address life threatening acute inflammatory and rare diseases. The Company’s EPICC peptides are based on research of the human astrovirus, HAstV-1, which causes a non-inflammatory, self-limiting gastroenteritis unique among viruses by inhibiting components of the innate immune system. ReAlta’s therapeutic peptides leverage these virus-derived mechanisms to rebalance complement and inflammatory processes in the body. The Company’s pipeline is led by RLS-0071, which has received both Orphan Drug Designation and Fast Track Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Orphan Drug Designation by the European Medicines Agency, for the treatment of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a devastating disease that causes brain damage in oxygen-deprived newborns and a leading cause of cerebral palsy; Orphan Drug Designation and Fast Track Designation by the FDA for the treatment of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD), a disease associated with bone marrow and stem cell transplants whereby transplanted white blood cells attack the new host in an inflammatory response; and IND clearance by the FDA for the treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an inflammatory lung disease characterized by progressive airflow limitations and tissue destruction that makes it challenging for patients to breathe. The company launched in 2018 and is located in Norfolk, Virginia and Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. For more information, please visit www.realtalifesciences.com.
