WATERTOWN, Mass.– Forma Therapeutics Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: FMTX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on rare hematologic diseases and cancers, today announced the appointment of Ifeyinwa (Ify) Osunkwo, MD, MPH, to the executive leadership team as the company’s inaugural chief patient officer and senior vice president. In this role, Dr. Osunkwo will be responsible for realizing Forma’s vision to transform the lives of patients by improving access and care through partnerships with global patient and community stakeholders. She will join Forma in the first quarter of 2022.
“This appointment of a chief patient officer boldly represents our commitment to advancing both patient access and care as well as potential innovative treatments. We are honored that Ify has chosen to join Forma at this critical time in the growth of our organization as a trusted patient-centered company,” said Frank Lee, president and chief executive officer of Forma. “Ify understands what it’s like to care for people living with sickle cell disease firsthand because she’s dedicated her professional life to it. Her role is crucial to our mission to transform patient lives. We have no doubt the impact she will have at a global level.”
Dr. Osunkwo is an internationally acclaimed expert in the research, treatment and care delivery of sickle cell disease (SCD), pediatric to adult care transition, and the management of chronic pain. She has a passion for health equity and has focused her research on identifying the comparative effectiveness of interventions in eliminating health disparities in black and brown populations. She has more than 25 years of experience in clinical management, population health using the chronic disease management model and health literacy. She is an accomplished clinician educator adept at training clinical and non-clinical audiences and is also a visionary leader in pragmatic program development and implementation using quality improvement.
“I am thrilled to be able to continue building meaningful partnerships with patient and community stakeholders in my role at Forma,” said Dr. Osunkwo. “Improving the overall patient experience in sickle cell disease has been my career passion; this is an opportunity to really focus on the delivery of new treatments for patients around the world. My vision is that everyone living with sickle cell disease has access to basic care and disease management. My hope is to amplify the impact I can have on the community.”
Dr. Osunkwo is the Founder & Director of the Sickle Cell Disease Enterprise at Levine Cancer Institute and a Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Atrium Health – a vertically integrated healthcare system serving 1400+ adults and 400+ children with sickle cell disease in NC/SC/GA. Previously, she was the medical director of the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Disease Program at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta @ Egleston and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Emory University. She directed the Teen Scene Transition Program that provided care coordination and education to facilitate the smooth transition of young adults from pediatrics to adult care. Dr. Osunkwo earned a medical degree from the University of Nigeria College of Medical Sciences and Dentistry and an MPH from Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health. She received her pediatric residency training at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and completed her fellowship in pediatric hematology, oncology and bone marrow transplantation at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Osunkwo is board certified in pediatric hematology oncology and has led a robust research enterprise garnering over $15 million in research funding and has served as principal investigator on numerous clinical trials over the course of her career.
