Orbital Therapeutics Appoints Veteran Biopharma Leader, Ron Philip, as Chief Executive Officer
September 03 2024 - 7:00AM
Business Wire
Co-founder and Interim CEO Giuseppe Ciaramella,
Ph.D., to Transition to Multi-Year Advisory Role
Orbital Therapeutics, a company focused on enhancing global
health by unleashing the full potential of RNA medicines to treat
human disease, today announced the appointment of Ron Philip as
chief executive officer (CEO) and a member of its board of
directors. Mr. Philip brings to Orbital more than 30 years of
biopharma leadership experience, including most recently as CEO of
Spark Therapeutics, a member of the Roche Group. Mr. Philip
succeeds founding CEO Giuseppe “Pino” Ciaramella, Ph.D., who will
remain a scientific and strategic advisor to Orbital. Dr.
Ciaramella is president of Beam Therapeutics, a strategic partner
to Orbital.
“Alongside my esteemed co-founders, we created Orbital to expand
the applicability of RNA-based medicines across a range of human
diseases, a pursuit that I am particularly passionate about. It has
been a tremendous privilege to build this incredible company and
team,” said Dr. Ciaramella. “Having made significant progress
across our scientific platform and programs, now is the time to
hand the reins to a full-time leader. Ron’s track record in
biopharma leadership, deep experience in genetic medicines, and
expertise in scaling emerging organizations make him the perfect
fit to lead Orbital at this critical juncture. I look forward to
continuing to be a part of Orbital’s legacy as a strategic advisor
and supporting Ron in his new role.”
“Orbital’s mission to enhance global health by unleashing the
full potential of RNA medicines is both inspiring and essential,
and I am thrilled to join such an ambitious and talented company,”
said Mr. Philip. “Over the course of my career, I’ve pursued
opportunities that have pushed the boundaries of science to bring
new therapies to patients. I firmly believe that Orbital’s
state-of-the-art platform has the potential to expand the
possibilities of RNA-based treatments, with RNA programs that
precisely align with the distinct attributes needed to treat a
specific disease. The incredible work Pino and the team have
accomplished in building Orbital’s capabilities and advancing its
diverse portfolio sets a strong foundation for, what I believe,
will be a transformative future for the field of genetic
medicine.”
Mr. Philip is a proven leader with extensive experience in
building companies, leading organizational growth, and guiding
teams through the development of therapies for people living with
genetic diseases. During his time at Spark Therapeutics, he led the
company through the commercial launch of the first approved gene
therapy for a genetic disease, LUXTURNA® (voretigene
neparvovec-rzyl); led the transition and growth of the company from
founder-led to a fully integrated standalone business as part of
the Roche Group; pivoted Spark’s platform to target larger disease
areas; acquired technologies and therapeutic assets through
business development efforts; and oversaw the initiation and build
of a state-of-the-art 600,000 sq. ft. Gene Therapy Innovation
Center that will open in 2026. Before joining Spark, Mr. Philip
spent a decade at Pfizer and Wyeth, where he held several senior
leadership roles, including regional president for Africa/Middle
East, head of global business unit strategy, head of business
development search and evaluation, and commercial development lead
within Pfizer’s innovative products business. Earlier, he worked at
Deloitte Consulting in the strategy and operations practice and at
Merck & Co. in the company’s manufacturing and marketing
divisions. Mr. Philip currently serves as a board member at the
Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University in Philadelphia,
at the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, at Life
Sciences Pennsylvania and was previously an active board member of
Cure Duchenne. He is a graduate of Drexel University.
About Orbital Therapeutics
Orbital Therapeutics aims to enhance global health by unleashing
the full potential of RNA-based medicines to treat human disease in
ways that were not previously possible. The company is leveraging
its first-in-kind platform at the intersection of RNA technology,
delivery methods, data science and automation to develop an
expansive portfolio of medicines, initially focused in the areas of
immunomodulation for autoimmune disease and oncology,
next-generation vaccines, and protein therapeutics. Founded by
experts in the fields of genetic medicine and RNA development and
delivery, Orbital has an operational structure designed to harness
the ingenuity of a deep and diverse team of scientists, drug
developers and business leaders. For more information, please visit
www.OrbitalTx.com.
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Investor Contact Monique Allaire, THRUST
monique@thrustsc.com
Media Contact Dan Budwick, 1AB dan@1abmedia.com