ACELYRIN Appoints Veteran Drug Developer Shephard Mpofu as Senior Vice President of Development

ACELYRIN, a late-stage clinical biopharma company focused on transformative medicines in immunology, has announced the appointment of Dr. Shephard Mpofu as Senior Vice President of Development. Dr. Mpofu brings decades of clinical experience and expertise in drug development, particularly in the field of gene therapies.

Dr. Mpofu’s impressive background includes serving as the Global Lead for secukinumab, a groundbreaking drug that received approvals for multiple indications such as Psoriasis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Axial Spondyloarthritis, and Hidradenitis Suppurativa. His extensive experience in guiding secukinumab through all phases of clinical development will be invaluable as ACELYRIN advances its next-generation IL-17A inhibitor, izokibep.

Prior to joining ACELYRIN, Dr. Mpofu spent nearly 20 years at Novartis AG, where he held various positions of increasing responsibility in the immunology, rheumatology, and dermatology franchise. He also served as the Chief Medical Officer for Novartis’ Gene Therapy Franchise.

Dr. Mpofu’s appointment is seen as a strong complement to ACELYRIN’s current team and its robust portfolio of transformative medicines. The company has several upcoming milestones, including Phase 2b/3 top-line data for izokibep in Psoriatic Arthritis and proof-of-concept for lonigutamab in thyroid eye disease, both expected to be announced before the end of Q1 2024.

Expressing his excitement about joining ACELYRIN, Dr. Mpofu stated, “I am very excited to join the rapidly growing team at ACELYRIN and strongly believe in the company’s potential to advance transformative medicines for patients. I am incredibly proud of the difference secukinumab has made in the lives of countless patients, and I am even more excited for the potential of izokibep to deliver clinically meaningful and differentiated benefits to patients with various immunologic diseases.”

ACELYRIN is a Los Angeles-based biopharmaceutical company focused on identifying, acquiring, and accelerating the development and commercialization of transformative medicines. The company aims to provide life-changing treatment options for patients.

With Dr. Mpofu’s appointment, ACELYRIN is well-positioned to continue its mission of developing innovative therapies that address unmet medical needs in the field of immunology. The company’s dedication to advancing transformative medicines holds promise for improving the lives of patients worldwide.