Sirnaomics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company engaged in discovery and development of RNAi therapeutics against cancer and fibrotic diseases, today announced that the company has promoted Steven Long, PhD, to Chief Development Officer, and Edward Y. Wang, PhD, to Chief Production Officer, to lead the company’s campaigns for novel siRNA drug candidate development and large scale manufacturing. These promotions will greatly enhance the company’s capability for providing a pipeline of siRNA drug candidates for clinical evaluation and building a foundation to facilitate future commercialization.

Prior to his promotion to Chief Development Officer, Dr. Long served as Vice President of CMC and Head of China Clinical Operations at Sirnaomics since 2018. He has more than 30 years of biopharmaceutical industry experience, including eight years as the vice president of preclinical research and manufacturing at AnGes, Inc., a public gene therapy company; eight years as a unit head and director of core technology, clinical biosafety and quality control in the Novartis Genetic Therapy Center of Excellence; and five years as a senior scientist, PCR lab head and director and bioanalysis in Quality Biotech, Inc., which was later acquired by WuxiApptec. Dr. Long received his bachelor’s degree of science in genetics and biology at Fudan University and his doctoral degree in molecular genetics at the University of Leeds, UK. He also conducted postdoctoral research in molecular biology and biochemistry at Roche Pharmaceuticals Corporation and the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Long specializes in nucleic acid drug development, with deep experience in the preclinical safety, manufacturing and quality control of this unique type of pharmaceutical products.

Prior to his promotion to Chief Production Officer, Dr. Wang served as Vice President of Regulatory Compliance and China Chief Technology Officer at Sirnaomics since 2020. He has more than 25 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry and at NGOs, including serving as the vice president of technical operations at Wuxi Biological Base of WuXi AppTec Co., Ltd.; the director of vaccine production at Newlink Genetics Inc.; the deputy director of engineering at a non-profit organization affiliated with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; the technology consultant of Parexel International at Ben Venue Laboratory of Boehringer Ingelheim; and the senior scientist and manager in the Biopharmaceutical development program at the U.S. National Cancer Institute. Dr. Wang received his bachelor’s degree of biophysics at the University of Science and Technology of China, a master’s degree of biochemistry at the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan, and a doctoral degree at the Helsinki University of Technology in Finland. Dr. Wang is an internationally recognized expert in large-to -commercial scale manufacturing of biopharmaceutical and vaccine products, with specialization in aseptic process and GMP compliance.

“We are excited to strengthen our senior management team with the promotions of Steven and Edward,” said Dr. Patrick Lu, founder and CEO of Sirnaomics. “The experience and expertise they both bring are critical as we accelerate our transition from an early R&D stage organization toward to a fully integrated biopharma company.”

Sirnaomics focuses on the discovery and development of innovative drugs for indications with unmet medical needs and large market opportunities. Sirnaomics’ core product candidate, STP705, has achieved positive Phase IIa clinical outcomes in oncology. STP705 is currently in a Phase IIb clinical trial for squamous cell carcinoma in situ (isSCC), a Phase II clinical trial for treatment of skin basal cell carcinoma (BCC), a Phase II treatment of keloid, a Phase I/II clinical trial for treatment of hypertrophic scar (HTS), and a Phase I clinical trial for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) through a local injection. Sirnaomics has also received a greenlight from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a systemic formulation of its product candidate STP707 to treat multiple solid tumors. In addition to the company’s proprietary polypeptide nanoparticle delivery platform, Sirnaomics has advanced two GalNAc-based delivery platforms for liver-targeting RNAi therapeutics using systemic administration and adapted a polypeptide lipid nanoparticle delivery platform useful for administration of mRNA vaccines and therapeutics.

Sirnaomics, Inc., a leading privately held biopharmaceutical company for discovery and development of RNAi therapeutics, is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, with subsidiaries in Suzhou and Guangzhou, China. The Company’s mission is to develop novel therapeutics to alleviate human suffering and advance patient care in areas of high unmet medical need. The guiding principles of the company are: Innovation, Global Vision with a Patient Centered focus. Members of the senior management team have a great deal of combined experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, financial, clinical and business management in both the USA and China. The company is supported by funding from institutional investors and corporate partnerships. Sirnaomics has developed a strong portfolio of intellectual property with an enriched product pipeline. The therapeutic areas of focus include oncology and anti-fibrotic therapeutics. Learn more at www.sirnaomics.com.