CAMBRIDGE, Mass.– Third Harmonic Bio, a clinical-stage company developing a first-in-class, highly selective, oral KIT inhibitor for the treatment of severe allergy and inflammation, announced today the appointment of Adrian S. Ray, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer.
“We’re very excited to welcome Adrian to Third Harmonic Bio,” said Natalie Holles, Chief Executive Officer of Third Harmonic Bio. “Adrian is a highly skilled and experienced drug developer, with an outstanding track record and a highly relevant skill set in the development of small molecules for inflammatory diseases. He will oversee all aspects of nonclinical development for our lead program, THB001, as well as our ongoing discovery and optimization work in the oral KIT inhibitor space.”
Adrian joins Third Harmonic Bio with more than 25 years of scientific and biotech industry experience, with a focus on the discovery and clinical translation of transformative medications from target selection to registrational filing. Before joining Third Harmonic Bio, he served as Senior Vice President Biology and Translation at Morphic Therapeutic, where he built the translation function and shaped the discovery pipeline in fibrosis, immunology, and oncology. Earlier, Adrian spent 15 years at Gilead Sciences, where he held positions of increasing responsibility in research and development. He has directly contributed to regulatory filings including over a dozen IND and NDA filings across therapeutic areas. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers and is an inventor on over 30 U.S.-granted patents. Adrian graduated with highest honors from the University of California, Santa Cruz, with a B.A. in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology and received his Ph.D. for his work in the pharmacology department at Yale University.
“I’m excited to join the team at Third Harmonic Bio as we work to advance THB001 for the treatment of chronic urticaria and other mast-cell driven inflammatory and allergic diseases,” said Dr. Ray. “Contributing to the advancement of a novel therapeutic approach in KIT inhibition for a range of diseases with high unmet needs is a unique opportunity. I’m inspired by the passion of the team and the magnitude of our potential impact on the field.”
