CytoDyn Inc (OTCQB:CYDY) named industry veteran Mahboob U Rahman its chief scientific officer on Thursday, as the biotechnology company accelerates its clinical and regulatory priorities while developing its lead drug leronlimab (PRO 140) for multiple indications.
Dr Rahman was the global head of Immunology Development and Pharmacovigilance at Mesoblast Inc (NASDAQ:MESO) (ASX:MSB), a leader in medicines for inflammatory diseases. He has also worked at Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE) (FRA:PFE) and was involved in the development of tofacitiniband etanercept. In 2013, he joined Novartis as a VP and the therapeutic area head for Immunology and Musculoskeletal Disease, where he was involved in the development of several compounds of which two — canakinumab and secukinumab — won US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) approval for marketing in several indications.
CytoDyn Chief Medical Officer Scott A Kelly said: “We are very pleased Dr Rahman has joined our executive team. We expect his deep knowledge of immunology and successful regulatory experience to prove invaluable for patients and our company.”
Dr Rahman received his medical degree from Dhaka Medical College, Bangladesh and a PhD in molecular biology from the Medical College of Pennsylvania. He completed his internal medicine residency at the Medical College of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia and rheumatology fellowship at the Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston. He then joined the Harvard Medical School faculty and won an NIH research grant.
While working in the pharmaceutical industry, Dr Rahman has maintained his educational and clinical activities. He was an adjunct professor at University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine from 2002 to 2016 and more recently, a clinical professor at the Rutgers RWJ School of Medicine. He has published more than 100 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals.
“We believe Dr Rahman’s proven track record in our industry, coupled with his medical and research expertise will undoubtedly help accelerate many of our clinical and regulatory priorities,” said CytoDyn CEO Nader Pourhassan.
Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com
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