CAMBRIDGE, Mass.– Aurion Biotech, a clinical-stage regenerative medicine company with a mission to restore vision to millions of patients, today announced the promotions of Andrew Torres, Ph.D., to Chief Manufacturing Officer and Sterling Chung to Chief Regulatory & Quality Officer. The appointments come as the company prepares to initiate a U.S. Phase 3 clinical trial of its lead therapy AURN001 in the first quarter of 2026.
Aurion Biotech is developing AURN001, an investigational, single-administration, allogeneic cell therapy for corneal endothelial disease, a condition that causes progressive vision loss in millions of people worldwide.
“I’m proud to announce the promotions of Andrew Torres and Sterling Chung to Aurion Biotech’s executive team, signaling a new phase of growth as we prepare to launch a U.S. Phase 3 clinical trial in the first quarter of 2026 for our groundbreaking cell therapy AURN001,” said Arnaud Lacoste, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer of Aurion Biotech. “Andrew and Sterling have considerable experience in pharmaceuticals and biologics development and a unique ability to navigate highly complex regulatory environments. In a field of drug development where manufacturing and quality ecosystems have yet to be built, Andrew and Sterling’s unique skillsets will help Aurion achieve our mission to restore vision to the millions of people with corneal endothelial blindness.”
Torres joined Aurion to lead the development of a global manufacturing program for what could become the world’s first mass-scale cell therapy. He has guided external partners and internal teams to establish a compliant and efficient global manufacturing infrastructure.
“I am proud of the instrumental role our team continues to play in building a best-in-class program,” said Torres. “My motivation is to serve patients by making our cell therapy scalable and accessible to those in need.”
Chung brings extensive global regulatory expertise and has overseen key milestones across multiple geographies, including the United States, where AURN001 has received both Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) and Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD). He also manages post-approval regulatory activities in Japan and leads submissions in Canada, Europe, and Central America.
“Having spent my career at the intersection of global regulatory affairs and quality, I am excited to take on this new challenge,” said Chung. “Our team’s work in securing key regulatory milestones is a testament to our relentless commitment to bringing innovative therapies to patients around the world.”
Andrew Torres, Ph.D.
Torres has expertise spanning process development, analytical development, formulation, CMC regulatory strategy and operations, quality control, supply chain, and GMP manufacturing. Before joining Aurion Biotech, he held leadership roles at Molecular Templates, Neoleukin Therapeutics, Regeneron, and GE Global Research. He holds more than 30 patents, has authored numerous scientific publications, and earned his Ph.D. in chemistry from Northwestern University.
Sterling Chung
Chung has more than 20 years of pharmaceutical experience in regulatory affairs, quality assurance, pharmacovigilance, and medical writing. He has led successful submissions of multiple INDs, NDAs, and sBLAs across the U.S., EU, Canada, and Japan. Prior to Aurion Biotech, he held senior roles at Neoleukin Therapeutics, Molecular Templates, Immatics US, Seattle Genetics, Astellas Pharmaceuticals, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, and Abbott Laboratories. He earned both a B.A. in Political Science and a B.S. in Biology from the University of Michigan, along with a Regulatory and Quality Assurance certificate from Purdue University.
