Relief Appoints Gilles Della Corte, M.D. as Chief Medical Officer
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / ACCESSWIRE / September 4, 2020 / RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA (SIX: RLF, OTCQB: RLFTF) (“Relief” or the “Company“), a biopharmaceutical company with its lead compound aviptadil in advanced clinical development to treat severe COVID-19 patients, today announced the appointment of Gilles Della Corte, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer, effective immediately.
Raghuram (Ram) Selvaraju, Chairman of the Board of Relief, said: “We welcome Gilles to Relief. He brings extensive knowledge in clinical trials planning, conduct from early stage to market and understands all stages of the product development process as well as the importance of planning early to lay the foundation for a successful product launch. He has served in a variety of roles at pharmaceutical companies as well as CROs and has advised many companies, including Relief, on clinical trials strategy and planning. He also has strong expertise in regulatory preparations, including engagement with regulatory authorities and relationship management with CROs and other clinical trial vendors. He will be a great asset to Relief as aviptadil advances in clinical development in Europe and the U.S. and as we hopefully prepare submissions for marketing approval soon.”
Dr. Della Corte brings over 40 years of professional experience, 30 of that in the biopharmaceutical industry. Dr. Della Corte held several senior clinical research positions at Merck Serono (previously Serono), where he was responsible for the development from proof of concept to life cycle management of projects in several disease areas, including cardiology, rheumatology, oncology and endocrinology. Earlier in his career, he also held positions of increasing responsibility at several CROs, pharmaceutical and start-ups companies including Rhone-Poulenc-Rorer, Servier, Solvay Pharma as well as Phoenix Life Sciences, Larime, Omnicare Clinical Research, Therapharm, Anergis. In 2016, Dr. Della Corte founded Dellmed Consulting, providing strategic advices and hands-on support for clinical development in various therapeutic areas such as dermatology, oncology, allergy and for clinical research organization (CRO) selection, for companies ranging from biotech start-ups to well established pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Della Corte holds an M.D. from Paris-Sud University (Paris XI) and is a Board-certified cardiologist with ten years of hospital practice. At Relief, Dr. Della Corte will be responsible for the clinical development of aviptadil in Europe and coordinating closely with NeuroRx, which will continue to manage clinical trials in the U.S., as well as interactions with and submissions to regulatory authorities.
Gilles Della Corte, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Relief, said: “Relief is developing a potentially ground-breaking, life-saving treatment for critically ill COVID-19 patients, and I am honored to be part of this important work in a therapeutic area with such a huge unmet medical need. I am also excited that aviptadil has broad potential to help patients with other acute and chronic lung diseases, as well as earlier-stage COVID-19 patients, and also look forward to planning and overseeing clinical development in these areas. As a medical doctor, there is nothing more rewarding than helping patients who are in desperate need of new treatment options.”
Relief also reported today that the Company has hired Virtuoso Sarl, a strategic and tactical, operational and trial delivery services firm, as Clinical Trials Manager to set up and run aviptadil clinical trials in Europe. Clinical trials in the U.S. will continue to be managed by NeuroRx.
About Relief
Relief focuses primarily on clinical-stage programs based on molecules of natural origin (peptides and proteins) with a history of clinical testing and use in human patients or a strong scientific rationale. Currently, Relief is concentrating its efforts on developing new treatments for respiratory disease indications. Its lead drug candidate aviptadil, synthetic vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), is being tested in two phase 2/3 trials in COVID-19 induced ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome), plus an expanded access program (compassionate use). Aviptadil is the first COVID-19 therapeutic to demonstrate the ability to block replication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in human lung cells and monocytes, while also preventing synthesis of cytokines in the lung. Aviptadil was granted Fast Track Designation and emergency use IND authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Relief holds orphan drug designations from the U.S. FDA and the European Union for the use of VIP to treat ARDS, pulmonary hypertension, and sarcoidosis. Relief also holds a U.S. patent (US8178489 formulation for aviptadil) for RLF-100 and proprietary manufacturing processes for its synthesis.
RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the symbol RLF.
CONTACT
RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding AG
Raghuram (Ram) Selvaraju
Chairman of the Board
Mail: contact@relieftherapeutics.com
FOR MEDIA INQUIRES:
MC Services AG
Anne Hennecke / Brittney Sojeva
Mail: relief@mc-services.eu
Tel.: +49 (0) 211-529-252-14
Disclaimer: This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
SOURCE: Relief Therapeutics Holdings AG
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