CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--City Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company leading the future of RNA interference (RNAi)-based medicine, today announced the appointment of Andrew “Andy” Orth as chief executive officer and director. Mr. Orth is an accomplished executive with more than 25 years of experience in biopharmaceutical research and development and commercialization, most recently as chief commercial officer of Krystal Biotech and earlier at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals.
“We are thrilled to welcome Andy to City Therapeutics. This is the right time to bring a CEO onboard, as we rapidly advance our first RNAi-based program into the clinic at or around the end of 2025,” said John Maraganore, Ph.D., co-founder and executive chair of City Therapeutics. “I’ve known Andy for many years, and am confident that his diverse expertise in building and scaling successful biopharmaceutical companies both complements and strengthens the capabilities of our talented leadership team. We are exceptionally well positioned to lead the next generation of RNAi-based medicines, unlocking their full potential across a range of diseases to benefit people living with unmet medical needs.”
As CEO, Mr. Orth will oversee cross-functional business strategy to drive operational excellence and sustainable growth for the company. He will build and lead the City Therapeutics team as the company advances into clinical and commercial stages of development. City Therapeutics is harnessing next-generation engineering technologies to advance innovations in the design, delivery and targeting of RNAi trigger molecules that enable improved potency and specificity across tissue types and therapeutic areas.
“I am proud to have joined the City Therapeutics team of RNAi pioneers as we push the category’s boundaries and deliver breakthrough therapeutic innovations for a range of diseases,” said Mr. Orth. “Informed by our versatile RNAi trigger molecule engineering platform, our world-class team is building out a robust pipeline with truly transformational potential. I look forward to working closely with John and alongside my new colleagues to make a meaningful difference for human health and medicine as the industry’s next leading RNAi company.”
About Andy Orth, Chief Executive Officer
Prior to joining City Therapeutics, Mr. Orth served as chief commercial officer of Krystal Biotech, where he drove company strategy and growth, and oversaw the global commercialization strategy and launch of VYJUVEK®, the first-ever topical redosable gene therapy for the treatment of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. Previously, Mr. Orth held multiple leadership roles at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, including senior vice president, U.S. Region. In this role, he led Alnylam’s domestic business and launched the first-ever RNAi therapeutic, ONPATTRO®, for the treatment of the polyneuropathy of hATTR amyloidosis, followed by the launches of GIVLAARI® and OXLUMO®. Before Alnylam, Mr. Orth was on the Global Commercial Strategy and U.S. Business leadership teams at Biogen.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Orth held various finance roles with Genzyme and Amgen, as well as served as a research associate in the Osteoporosis and Arthritis Research Group at the University of California, San Francisco. Mr. Orth received his MBA from the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University and his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin.
About City Therapeutics
City Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company harnessing next-generation engineering of RNAi trigger molecules to improve and expand the reach of RNAi-based medicines. The company is building a pipeline of innovative RNAi therapeutics to make a significant impact for patients across multiple therapeutic areas. Co-founded by pioneering executives and scientists in RNAi, City Therapeutics is based in Cambridge, MA, and has raised $135 million from leading life sciences investors. For more information, please visit us at www.citytx.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
