Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ACHN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to transforming the lives of patients and families affected by complement-mediated diseases, today announced the appointment of Brian Di Donato to the position of Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately.
NEW HAVEN, Conn., Feb. 11, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ACHN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to transforming the lives of patients and families affected by complement-mediated diseases, today announced the appointment of Brian Di Donato to the position of Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Di Donato has over 20 years of financial and leadership experience and will assume responsibility for finance, accounting and treasury as well as continue to lead investor relations.
“Brian joined the Achillion team in August 2018 and has already made significant contributions alongside the new management team as we accelerate our clinical programs and prepare for registrational trials,” commented Joseph Truitt, President and Chief Executive Officer of Achillion. “His significant finance, investing and leadership experience will greatly benefit Achillion as we plan for late-stage development, commercialization and new indications.”
Mr. Di Donato stated, “Achillion’s portfolio of oral, small molecule complement inhibitors, is uniquely positioned to potentially make a difference in the lives of patients with complement-mediated diseases. I look forward to working closely with our experienced leadership team to develop strategies leveraging our strong cash position into near- and long-term clinical and commercial opportunities to create value for patients and Achillion shareholders.”
Mr. Di Donato is an experienced capital markets banker, investor and fund manager, having previously held positions as Managing Director and Co-Portfolio Manager at Sorin Capital Management and President and Chief Investment Officer at Capmark Investments. He previously worked in fixed-income capital markets as an Executive Director at Morgan Stanley and Vice President at UBS Securities. Mr. Di Donato holds a Master of Business Administration from New York University’s Stern School of Business as well as bachelors of science degrees in biology from Penn State University and in mechanical engineering from Villanova University. Prior to business school, he was an aerospace engineering officer in the U.S. Navy.
About Achillion Pharmaceuticals
Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACHN) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on advancing its oral, small molecule, complement system inhibitors into late-stage development and commercialization. Each of the drug candidates in the Company’s portfolio was discovered in its laboratories and is wholly owned. Achillion is initially focusing its drug development activities on alternative pathway-mediated diseases where there are no approved therapies or where existing therapies are inadequate for patients. Initial indications being evaluated for its compounds include paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), C3 glomerulopathy (C3G), and immune complex mediated membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (IC-MPGN). To advance its investigational drugs into phase 3 and commercialization, the Company plans to work closely with key stakeholders including patients, payors, regulators and healthcare professionals. More information is available at http://www.achillion.com.
