LONDON– Silence Therapeutics plc, Nasdaq: SLN, an experienced and innovative biotechnology company committed to transforming people’s lives by silencing diseases through precision engineered medicines, today announced the appointment of Steven Romano, MD, as incoming Chief Medical Officer and Head of Research and Development. Dr. Romano will join Silence on April 1, 2023, and work alongside Giles Campion, MD, current CMO and Head of R&D at Silence, to ensure an efficient and smooth transition for Dr. Campion’s retirement by year-end.
Dr. Romano has served as non-executive director of the Silence Board since July 2019 following the Company’s siRNA collaboration with Mallinckrodt plc for complement-mediated diseases. Since then, Dr. Romano has played a key role overseeing the company’s complement portfolio. In a press release issued this morning, Silence announced that it was buying back two of its siRNA assets from Mallinckrodt.
“Giles has been instrumental in leading our R&D efforts to get Silence to where it is today – a clinical stage company advancing multiple programs – and we are grateful for his continued dedication to the company,” said Craig Tooman, President and CEO of Silence. “We are very pleased to welcome Steven Romano to our executive team in this crucial role as we enter the next chapter of innovation and growth at Silence. His extensive experience overseeing research and development, regulatory and medical affairs make him the ideal leader to advance our clinical activities and pursue new opportunities to maximize our mRNAi GOLD™ platform technology.”
“Being a member of the Silence Board since July 2019, I’ve developed a deep understanding and appreciation for the company’s siRNA platform technology to address a broad range of genetic diseases,” said Steven Romano, MD. “I’m honored to assume the leadership of Silence’s R&D organization and look forward to building on this strong momentum to help bring transformative medicines to people around the world.”
Dr. Romano is also a board-certified psychiatrist with more than 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, including 16 years at Pfizer. Most recently, he served as executive vice president and chief scientific officer at Mallinckrodt and was responsible for research and development, medical affairs, health economics and outcomes research, safety, pharmacovigilance and regulatory affairs functions. At Pfizer, Dr. Romano served in a series of senior roles, including Senior Vice President, Head, Global Medicines Development, Global Innovative Pharmaceuticals Business. Before Pfizer, he spent four years at Eli Lilly performing clinical research. Dr. Romano received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Washington University in St. Louis and his medical degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He completed his residency and fellowship at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, where he then served on the medical school faculty for six years.
