Variant Pharmaceuticals has announced the formation of its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), comprised of global thought leaders in the areas of Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), Alport Syndrome, orphan and general drug development. The SAB will work closely with Variant's Management Team to provide scientific and strategic insights to accelerate development of Hydroxypropyl Beta Cyclodextrin (HPβCD) for two leading indications: VAR 200 for FSGS and VAR 300 for Alport Syndrome.
"We are honored to have attracted some of the most distinguished experts in nephrology and orphan/general drug development to support our efforts to develop VAR 200 and VAR 300," commented Stephen Glover, Founder and CEO of Variant. "We believe that these products, if successfully developed and commercialized, will fulfill a tremendous unmet need for disease-specific treatment of FSGS and Alport Syndrome."
Variant SAB members are listed below, and their biographies can be found here.
Alessia Fornoni, MD, PhD
Katz Family Professor of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension
Director, Peggy and Harold Katz Family Drug Discovery Center
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Steven R. Gerst, MD, MBA, MPH, CHE
Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, MZI Healthcare
Vice President of Medical Affairs, MedCurrent Corporation
Health Informatics Board Member
Professor, Bryan University
Pablo A. Guzman, MD, FACC
SAB Chair
Acting Chief Medical Officer
Variant Pharmaceuticals
Marlene Haffner, MD, MPH
Principal and founder at Orphan solutions and Haffner Associates, LLC
Former Director of the Office of Orphan Products Development of the FDA
Jonathan J. Hogan, MD
Clinical Director, Penn Glomerular Disease Center
Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Ronald J. Hogg, MD
Retired Pediatric Nephrologist
Former Chief, Division of Pediatric Nephrology Baylor Scott & White Health
Professor of Pediatrics, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine