SAN DIEGO– Actio Biosciences, a biotechnology company leveraging a novel platform approach to genetics and precision medicine to develop new therapeutics that target shared underlying biology in both rare and common diseases, today announced the appointment of Dimitrios Arkilo, M.D., as chief medical officer (CMO). Dr. Arkilo, a trained pediatric neurologist with significant experience in childhood epilepsy, succeeds former CMO, Sam Collins, MBBS, Ph.D., who will remain a consultant with the company.
“Dimitrios is a tremendous addition to Actio, bringing extensive expertise in neurology, epilepsy and rare diseases, with a particular focus on childhood conditions. His dual experience in clinical settings and within the biotech industry provides him with nuanced perspectives that will be critical to the efficient advancement of our programs,” said David Goldstein, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of Actio. “With our lead program, ABS-0871 for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease 2C, a rare disease caused by TRPV4 mutations, heading towards the clinic, and a second program rapidly advancing for the treatment of genetic epilepsies, we are progressing toward our mission of bringing life-changing treatments to patients. I look forward to partnering with Dimitrios to continue this momentum.”
“Actio’s approach to advancing cutting-edge, precision medicines for rare and common diseases based on shared, underlying biology is intriguing and has the potential to make a unique impact on patients’ lives,” said Dr. Arkilo. “In getting to know this company, I am inspired by the dedication of the Actio team and their unwavering commitment to pioneering innovative treatments for patients. This is an exciting time for us, as we near the clinic for our first program, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to drive the clinical development plans going forward.”
Dr. Arkilo joins Actio from Sage Therapeutics, where he served as vice president in medical science. Prior to that, he was vice president of clinical development, rare disease at Acadia Pharmaceuticals, and earlier, held positions of increasing responsibility at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, most recently as global clinical leader, executive medical director. Before joining industry, Dr. Arkilo was an attending physician and director of the chromosome 15 duplication clinic, focused on pediatric neurology and epilepsy, at the Minnesota Epilepsy Group. He completed his clinical training at Winthrop University Hospital, Mineola, NY (residency in pediatrics); The Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA (residency in child neurology); and University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (fellowship in clinical neurophysiology). Dr. Arkilo obtained his M.D. from Semmelweis University of Medicine, Budapest, Hungary, and holds a certification in Neurology with Special Qualification in Child Neurology from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
