News
NephroDI Therapeutics Announces Four New Leadership Team Appointments, Including Dr. Jeff Sands as Chief Medical Officer
Sep. 8, 2023 Seattle, WA – NephroDI Therapeutics (NephroDI), a pharmaceutical company focusing on concentration disorders of the kidney, is thrilled to announce the appointment of four key members of its executive team.
Jeff M. Sands, MD, a NephroDI co-founder, has been appointed the organization’s Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Sands’ research focuses on the molecular physiology of the kidney, the urine concentrating mechanism, and the translation of these basic research findings into novel therapies for Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus (NDI).
Numerous national and international awards (including the American Society of Nephrology’s Homer W. Smith Award), chair/leadership roles, and more than 175 peer-reviewed manuscripts highlight his more than 35-year career in renal research and nephrology patient care. Dr. Sands will leverage his comprehensive knowledge of NDI physiology and patient experience to help develop NephroDI’s asset, NDI-5001, a potential therapy for X-linked congenital NDI.
Additionally, NephroDI welcomes to their leadership team Janet Klein, PhD as Director of Biology, Dennis “Mike” Rose as the VP of Operations, and Josh Knackert as Director of Scientific Operations.
Janet will draw upon over 30 years’ experience, including over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts on urea transporters and urine concentrating defects. She is a co-founder of NephroDI and will manage the research and development efforts for the organization.
Mike will build upon thirty-two years of successful enterprise program and project leadership experience in the healthcare industry to lead enterprise operations. Josh brings to bear experiences as a life science researcher, biotech consultant, and lifelong congenital NDI patient to his work overseeing the enterprise scientific and clinical strategies.
“With these four phenomenal appointments, NephroDI continues to establish the medical, scientific, and operational foundations essential to develop our potential NDI therapy,” said Rachael Hagan, CEO of NephroDI. “Dr. Sands represents one of the preeminent minds in kidney concentration and NDI. The organization could not hope for a more ideal Chief Medical Officer.”
“I am honored by the opportunity to transition this potential therapy into the clinic, with potentially meaningful impacts for NDI patients and their families,” said Dr. Sands. “I am excited to continue my rewarding research and clinical work on NDI in the unique and immensely important role as NephroDI’s Chief Medical Officer.”
NephroDI Therapeutics Enters Agreement to Develop a First-in-Class Treatment for a Genetic, Rare Disease of the Kidneys
June 22, 2023 Seattle, WA – NephroDI Therapeutics (NephroDI), a pharmaceutical company focusing on concentration disorders of the kidney, announces today it has entered an agreement with The McQuade Center for Strategic Research and Development, LLC (MSRD), a member of the global Otsuka family of pharmaceutical companies which identifies and supports early-stage opportunities that can change the landscape of treatments for renal disorders and mental illness.
MSRD at Otsuka in the U.S. and NephroDI will collaborate with respect to the clinical development of NephroDI’s asset, NDI-5001, a novel kidney-targeted small molecule AMPK activator, as a potential therapy for X-linked congenital Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus (NDI). NDI is a rare genetic kidney condition that affects individuals from birth, causing them to produce up to 20 liters of urine per day.
Under the terms of the agreement, NephroDI and MSRD will exclusively develop NDI-5001 through completion of certain clinical studies with the opportunity for MSRD to elect to expand the collaboration after those studies or upon the occurrence of certain triggering events. Later studies are anticipated to include affected individuals, providing an opportunity for early evidence of target engagement through increases in urine concentrating ability.
“X-linked NDI pediatric patients and their caregivers currently navigate a lifetime of intense symptom management. There are minimally effective treatments currently available for NDI that do little to significantly improve quality of life for patients and their families,” said Rachael Hagan, CEO of NephroDI. “The NDI, renal, and nephrology experts now collaborating across NephroDI, MSRD, and Otsuka are uniquely positioned to embark on the next phase of development for a potential, novel NDI treatment. This team is driven by the opportunity to bring a first-in-class treatment to these patients and their families.”
About NephroDI Therapeutics
NephroDI Therapeutics, Inc. is a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, focused on developing and commercializing a class of novel kidney-targeted AMPK activators which showed promise in modulating urine concentration function in the kidney. The company’s lead program is NDI-5001, a preclinical-stage small molecule being developed for the treatment of NDI.
Forward-looking Statements
This press release contains certain “forward-looking statements” concerning the development of NephroDI Therapeutics’ products, the potential benefits and attributes of those products, and the company’s expectations regarding its prospects. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, assumptions, and uncertainties that could cause actual future events or results to differ materially from such statements. These statements are made as of the date of this press release. Actual results may vary. NephroDI Therapeutics undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements for any reason.
NephroDI Media Contact:
Josh Knackert
jknackert@nephrodi.com