NanoPhoria, a pre-clinical stage biotech company that is developing a versatile, non-viral drug delivery platform based on inorganic nanoparticles and has a lead product for heart failure, announced two key board appointments as it continues to build a versatile and experienced team.
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Prof. Michael H. Davidson (Photo: NanoPhoria bioscience)
Suman Shirodkar, M.B., B.S., PhD, an executive with 25 years of leadership experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, was named Chair of the Board of Directors. Dr. Shirodkar has held top management roles at McKinsey & Co, Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Novartis, and The Medicines Company, and has broad leadership experience managing cross functional teams in early portfolio strategy, late-stage product development and approval and global commercialization. Her therapeutic area experience spans cardiology, oncology, diagnostics and anti-virals, and while at Pfizer and Novartis she worked on several leading blockbuster cardiovascular drugs. She has served as a consultant for numerous biotechnology companies and most recently served as CEO at two biotech companies, Larkspur Biosciences, an immuno-oncology start-up, and Cambridge Epigenetix, where she led a team of more than 50 people developing an epigenetic liquid biopsy test for early cancer detection.
Michael H. Davidson, MD, a leading expert in the field of lipidology who is currently Professor of Medicine and Director of the Lipid Clinic at the University of Chicago, was named as a non-executive Board member. Prof. Davidson is a serial entrepreneur who co-founded Corvidia and Omthera Pharmaceuticals with Sofinnova Partners, which was the lead investor in both companies. Corvidia was sold to NovoNordisk for up to $2.1 billion in 2020, and Omthera was acquired by AstraZeneca for $443 million in 2013. He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of New Amsterdam Pharma, which was listed on the NASDAQ in November 2022, and is on the board of Sonothera, a private biotech company. Prof. Davidson is a world authority in the field of cardiology and clinical research has conducted over 1000 clinical trials and has published more than 350 medical journal articles in lipidology.
Prof. Davidson said: “I look forward to working with Suman and the talented team at NanoPhoria to help advance its cutting-edge platform and to advance its lead product for heart failure which has the potential to make a significant impact on patient outcomes. This product has already shown impressive efficacy in pre-clinical models, and we are eager to rapidly develop it for use in patients.”
Dr. Shirodkar said: “I am impressed by the progress made by NanoPhoria and am excited about our potential to deliver a variety of biologics through this unique non-viral technology platform. We aim to catalyze breakthrough innovation in heart failure by progressing our lead product currently in pre-clinical development to first-in-human studies.”
NanoPhoria’s platform allows selective targeting at the organ and/or cellular level. The core vehicle of the platform is an inorganic calcium-phosphate nanoparticle that is a versatile, non-viral, biomimetic nano-carrier that can be loaded with active biologics.
The lead product coming out of the platform is a treatment for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), a chronic syndrome affecting the lives of millions worldwide.
Claudio De Luca, NanoPhoria’s Chief Executive, said: “NanoPhoria’s unique technology has enabled us to attract the best talent to the board. We are delighted to welcome Suman and Michael to the Board of Directors.”
Lucia Faccio, a Partner at Sofinnova Partners, said, “The company has made great progress since our initial investment in the spring of 2022. We are thrilled to have such an experienced Board and are sure that NanoPhoria is now poised to reach its full potential.”
About NanoPhoria
NanoPhoria is a biotech company based in Milan that is developing a versatile, non-viral drug delivery platform based on inorganic nanoparticles. The company’s first product is a pre-clinical stage treatment for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), a chronic syndrome affecting the lives of millions worldwide. NanoPhoria is a spin-off from CNR, the largest public research institution in Italy, and supported by Sofinnova Partners.
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