RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Sept. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: BCRX) today announced that Donald S. Fong, MD, MPH, has been appointed as the company’s new chief medical officer, effective immediately.

Dr. Fong joins Dr. Helen Thackray, the company’s chief research and development officer, and Dr. Bill Sheridan, the company’s chief development officer, as physicians on the company’s leadership team.

“We continue to advance our pipeline of novel therapies to treat diseases with significant unmet needs, including programs in Netherton syndrome and diabetic macular edema that we expect will enter the clinic this year and next year, respectively. Donald’s experience leading clinical research programs for various diseases, coupled with his many years of experience and thought leadership as an ophthalmologist, make him an excellent leader for our global medical team as we continue to focus on bringing potential life-changing therapies to patients who need them,” Thackray said.

Dr. Fong joined BioCryst in April 2024 as vice president of the ophthalmology therapeutic area, where he has overseen clinical development of avoralstat, the company’s investigational plasma kallikrein inhibitor for the treatment of diabetic macular edema. He has more than 25 years of clinical experience leading clinical trials, drug development and healthcare organizations in both clinical and industry roles.

Prior to joining BioCryst, Dr. Fong served as vice president of ophthalmology clinical development at Annexon Biosciences, where he advanced the company’s asset to phase 3 trials in geographic atrophy. Prior to his time at Annexon, Dr. Fong founded the clinical trials division at Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) that oversaw trials for all medical and surgical specialties and advanced the company’s oncology group to become a leading national site. He also created and led KP’s tele-ophthalmology/telemedicine program and is a clinical professor at the KP School of Medicine. Dr. Fong has been an advisor to numerous U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committees, in addition to serving as chair of the FDA’s Dermatologic and Ophthalmic Drugs Advisory Committee. Dr. Fong received his BA from Pomona College, his MD from UT Health San Antonio and his MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health.

About BioCryst Pharmaceuticals

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals is a global biotechnology company with a deep commitment to improving the lives of people living with complement-mediated and other rare diseases. BioCryst leverages its expertise in structure-guided drug design to develop first-in-class or best-in-class oral small-molecule and protein therapeutics to target difficult-to-treat diseases. BioCryst has commercialized ORLADEYO^® (berotralstat), the first oral, once-daily plasma kallikrein inhibitor, and is advancing a pipeline of small-molecule and protein therapies. For more information, please visit www.biocryst.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

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