04.08.16
Ra Pharmaceuticals has appointed Simon Read as chief scientific officer and bringing more than 20 years of drug discovery and development experience including, leadership roles of increasing responsibility at GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Roche/Genentech and Grunenthal GmbH. During this period, Dr. Read has worked on the clinical development of some of the most well-known, breakthrough drugs in the immunology area, including Rituxan (ritxumab) and Actemra (tocilizumab). Most recently, he served as vice president and head of the innovative medicines unit (IMU) at Grunenthal, a mid-sized pharmaceutical company headquartered in Aachen, Germany. Focused on rare and orphan diseases, Dr. Read led the foundation of the IMU in Aachen and opening of a second hub in Leiden, Netherlands.
“Simon brings a wealth of experience and knowledge across various stages of drug discovery and development, particularly in rare and orphan diseases,” said Doug Treco, founder and chief executive officer, Ra Pharmaceuticals. “His leadership and insights will be invaluable as we continue to advance the development of our synthetic peptide C5 inhibitor, RA101495, for PNH, and other disorders stemming from dysregulation of the complement system.”
Dr. Read is well published, having authored over 50 articles in peer reviewed journals in immunology and neuroinflammation. In the UK, he is a member of Medical Research Council and Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry Steering Committee for the UK’s foremost Immunology Consortium. In the U.S., Dr. Read is a member of the Boston Children’s Hospital Technology Development Fund steering group.
“Simon brings a wealth of experience and knowledge across various stages of drug discovery and development, particularly in rare and orphan diseases,” said Doug Treco, founder and chief executive officer, Ra Pharmaceuticals. “His leadership and insights will be invaluable as we continue to advance the development of our synthetic peptide C5 inhibitor, RA101495, for PNH, and other disorders stemming from dysregulation of the complement system.”
Dr. Read is well published, having authored over 50 articles in peer reviewed journals in immunology and neuroinflammation. In the UK, he is a member of Medical Research Council and Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry Steering Committee for the UK’s foremost Immunology Consortium. In the U.S., Dr. Read is a member of the Boston Children’s Hospital Technology Development Fund steering group.