Durham biotech startup Aerami names industry veteran as new CEO

DURHAM – Lisa Yanez, the chief operating officer at Aerami Therapeutics, will take over as the CEO on Jan. 1.

The company announced the promotion on Wednesday. Steve Thornton, the current CEO, will retire. He remains a member of the company’s board and will head the firm’s finance committee, Aerami said.

Yanez, an industry veteran, joined the company earlier this year.

Aerami is focused on cardiopulmonary and cardiometabolic conditions. It has one product in clinical trial and is pursuing programs targeting Type-1 and Type-2 diabetes.

Also on Wednesday the company announced plans to launch a phase 2 clinical trial of ER-901 (inhaled imatinib). Aerami describes it as “a potential reverse-remodeling therapy, is being developed to address unmet need for PAH treatments that target pulmonary vascular remodeling while supporting ease-of-use for patients.”

“As Aerami continues to advance potentially life-changing medicines, Lisa’s deep experience in cardiopulmonary disease will bring the focused expertise Aerami needs to grow the business and strengthen our platform opportunities,” said Anne Whitaker, chairman of the board, in the announcement.

Yanez has 25-plus years of experience at firms including Merck, GSK and United Therapeutics where she worked with pulmonary hypertension [PHA] products.

The incoming CEO  “spearheaded initiatives that engaged clinical development, preclinical research and external medical experts to build a differentiated pulmonary franchise strategy and PAH development program for a potential reverse remodeling therapy,” Aerami said.

“I’m delighted to lead Aerami and its development programs at this critical stage for the company,” Yañez said. “Having seen firsthand the potential of AER-901 in PAH and knowing the strength of our other drug-device development programs, I look forward to helping our team add as much value as we can to patients’ lives by focusing on the potential of AER-901 and additional pipeline assets.”

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