AIRNA Appoints Matthew Hawryluk as Chief Business Officer

Rhea-AI Summary

AIRNA has appointed Matthew Hawryluk, Ph.D., MBA as Chief Business Officer. Dr. Hawryluk joins from Gritstone bio, where he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer. He brings extensive experience in strategic partnerships and business development, having held senior roles at Foundation Medicine and Thermo Fisher Scientific. He currently serves on the Board of Directors at Predictive Oncology (NASDAQ: POAI) and Pear Bio.

The appointment comes at a important time as AIRNA prepares to advance its first RNA editing therapeutic to clinical trials, focusing on alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. The company also announced the appointment of Colleen Tucker as Head of People, bringing experience from Akouos, Entasis Therapeutics, and Momenta Pharmaceuticals.

Positive

• Strategic appointment of experienced CBO with proven track record in partnerships and business development
• Company advancing towards clinical trials with first RNA editing therapeutic
• Focus on both rare diseases and potential expansion into larger patient populations

Negative

• None.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. & TÜBINGEN, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AIRNA, a biotech company pioneering RNA editing therapeutics to restore the health of patients with rare and common diseases, today announced the appointment of Matthew Hawryluk, Ph.D., MBA, as Chief Business Officer. Dr. Hawryluk brings vast leadership experience in the life sciences sector, with a proven track record of bridging scientific innovation and commercial application.

“Matt is a tremendous addition to our leadership team, bringing extensive experience driving collaborations and leading high-performing teams,” said Kris Elverum, President and CEO of AIRNA. “Matt joins us at a critical time, as we prepare to bring our first RNA editing therapeutic to the clinic. We have the potential to offer a differentiated solution for patients suffering from alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency by targeting the genetic cause of the disease, and to extend the potential of RNA editing into larger patient populations by introducing healthy variants.”

Dr. Hawryluk joins AIRNA from Gritstone bio, where he most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer, building strategic partnerships and business development initiatives. Prior to Gritstone, Dr. Hawryluk held senior roles in corporate and business development at Foundation Medicine, and positions in product management, strategy, business development, and marketing across multiple divisions of Thermo Fisher Scientific. Dr. Hawryluk also serves on the Board of Directors at Predictive Oncology (NASDAQ: POAI) and Pear Bio, and was recognized as one of PharmaVoice’s 2023 Standout Execs.

“I was drawn to AIRNA because of its bold mission to harness RNA editing as a functional cure for a wide range of diseases,” said Dr. Hawryluk. “As a pioneer in the field, AIRNA has the unique potential to both reverse disease-driving mutations and introduce genetically validated, healthy variants that counteract drivers of disease.”

AIRNA also announced that Colleen Tucker joined the company as Head of People. Ms. Tucker has deep experience across the biotech industry leading human resources and implementing strategies and programs that support the goals of the business, including leadership roles at Akouos, Entasis Therapeutics, and Momenta Pharmaceuticals.

About AIRNA
AIRNA is at the forefront of RNA editing therapeutic discovery and development, aiming to transform the lives of patients with inherited disorders. RNA editing offers the precision of genomic medicine approaches while maintaining the treatment convenience, flexibility, and reversibility of biologic drugs. Our proprietary RESTORE+™ platform is based on groundbreaking research by academic co-founders Thorsten Stafforst (University of Tübingen) and Jin Billy Li (Stanford University), who were the first to elucidate a therapeutic approach for precise editing of RNA.

AIRNA’s lead program focuses on alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), and its robust pipeline addresses multiple diseases with high unmet needs. AIRNA has headquarters in Cambridge, MA, with research operations in Tübingen, Germany. Learn more at https://airna.com/.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250130051740/en/

Investors:

Lena Fischer

Vice President, Finance & Operations

AIRNA

lena.fischer@airna.com

Media:

Julie Perlin

Ten Bridge Communications

jperlin@tenbridgecommunications.com

Source: AIRNA

FAQ

What is Matthew Hawryluk's role at AIRNA and how does it affect POAI?

Matthew Hawryluk has been appointed as Chief Business Officer at AIRNA while maintaining his position on the Board of Directors at Predictive Oncology (POAI). This dual role could bring strategic insights and industry connections beneficial to both companies.

What experience does Matthew Hawryluk bring to his role as AIRNA's CBO?

Dr. Hawryluk brings extensive experience from his previous role as Executive Vice President and CBO at Gritstone bio, along with senior positions at Foundation Medicine and Thermo Fisher Scientific in business development and strategy.

What is AIRNA's current development stage for RNA editing therapeutics?

AIRNA is preparing to bring its first RNA editing therapeutic to clinical trials, focusing on treating alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency by targeting the genetic cause of the disease.

How might AIRNA's RNA editing technology impact patient treatment?

AIRNA's RNA editing technology aims to both reverse disease-driving mutations and introduce genetically validated, healthy variants that could counteract disease drivers, potentially offering functional cures for various diseases.