OUR MISSION
We are committed to developing improved therapies for the treatment of severe respiratory diseases. Our lead asset is inhaled imatinib (AER-901) for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension.
OUR APPROACH
Our product development approach combines novel formulations of existing drugs with our inhalation technology for the treatment of severe respiratory diseases with high unmet need.
MANAGEMENT TEAM
Our management team brings together formulation, device development, clinical and commercial expertise.
STEVE THORNTON, Chief Executive Officer
Steve brings over 40 years of broad experience, working within large and small pharmaceutical companies, branded and generic, and medical device and drug delivery companies
This experience was gained with several top rank companies, culminating in senior management and executive positions with Eli Lilly, Bayer, and Elan, and in SkyePharma Inc., where he served as President until its sale at which time he was asked to join its BOD.
He has significant experience in sales and marketing, including country management positions, and through his recent executive management positions, he has had responsibility for product development, from formulation, through pre-clinical and clinical development, regulatory, manufacturing, and supply logistics.
He is highly experienced in the areas of in and out licensing of products and has been involved in a variety of startup operations, joint ventures, and acquisitions as well as in the building for sale of well-run companies.
He was the President & CEO of Bioniche Pharma Inc. and oversaw its significant growth through acquisition and internal development programs until its sale to Mylan Corp through a highly professionally run and high return process for its then owners.
Most recently, Steve was the President & CEO of Excelsior Medical LLC, one of the largest suppliers of Saline and Heparin pre-filled syringes and disinfection caps in the US, until its sale to ICU Medical and Medline Industries in late 2015.
Steve has held numerous Board of Director positions and has acted in advisory capacities for both private and public companies.
He is currently the Chairman of the Board for XBolt Orthopaedics, an Irish based company focused on the marketing and sale of a novel device for hip fixation.
TIMM CROWDER, President and Chief Operating Officer
Timm Crowder has over 20 years of experience in pharmaceutical and manufacturing operations with deep experience in the development of inhaled therapeutics.
Prior to Aerami, Dr. Crowder served as chief operating officer at Spyryx Biosciences, a biopharmaceutical company developing inhaled therapeutics for severe respiratory diseases. Previously, he was the director of Advanced Manufacturing Technology at GlaxoSmithKline, PLC (GSK: NYSE), where he led innovation in the areas of aerosol and dry powder inhaler release testing, technology enhanced manufacturing, electronic inhaler and particle engineering technologies. Earlier in his tenure at GSK, he contributed to the development of manufacturing systems and quality-by-design for GSK’s current asthma and COPD products. Prior to GSK, Timm was co-founder and chief technology officer of Oriel Therapeutics Inc., an inhaler technology company launched to commercialize a dry powder inhaler he developed during his graduate research. Oriel was subsequently acquired by Sandoz Pharmaceuticals.
Timm earned his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from UNC-Chapel Hill and has degrees in physics from North Carolina State University and Davidson College. He is an inhalation and manufacturing technology expert credited with 10 issued patents on inhalers and powder filling systems and more than 25 publications, book chapters and international presentations relating to aerosol drug delivery, inhaler design, powder filling, and product formulation and characterization.
BARRY DEUTSCH, Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Deutsch is an accomplished healthcare CFO and business development executive with a demonstrated track record of growing pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, and specialty pharmaceutical companies ranging from start-ups to large multinational organizations. He has significant global transaction experience including equity and debt financings, mergers and acquisitions, licensing transactions, joint ventures, and public-private partnerships.
Most recently, Mr. Deutsch was CFO and, before that, vice president of business development, at Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: XERS). Mr. Deutsch built a talented finance and accounting organization at Xeris and played an instrumental role in Xeris’s initial public offering, subsequent equity and debt financings, transition from a development-stage company to a commercial company, and business development pursuits.
Prior to Xeris, Mr. Deutsch served as vice president of business development at Baxter BioScience and Baxalta Incorporated following its spinoff from Baxter and head of business development and public-private partnerships for the intercontinental region at Baxalta and Shire plc following its acquisition of Baxalta. Mr. Deutsch also has held CFO and vice president of business and corporate development roles at Ovation Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and TLContact, Inc. and investment banking positions at healthcare-focused Vector Securities International, Inc. and Salomon Brothers.
Mr. Deutsch received a Bachelor of Science in Economics degree from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Steve Thornton, Chief Executive Officer and Director
John Patton, PhD, Director and Founder
Anne Whitaker, Chairman, Chair of Compensation Committee
Adam Stern, Director
Bill Welch, Director
Darlene Deptula-Hicks, Director, Chair of Audit Committee
CAREERS
Join us in our effort to develop a new generation of inhaled therapies.