CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Apnimed, a clinical-stage company focused on advancing pharmacologic treatments for obstructive sleep apnea and related disorders, today announced that John Cronin, M.D., has joined the company as Senior Vice President, Clinical Development. Dr. Cronin has nearly three decades of experience as a leader in clinical sleep medicine and in commercial solutions to sleep disorders. He will contribute immediately to the development and execution of clinical strategy for AD109, Apnimed’s most advanced clinical candidate for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), as well as help to enhance Apnimed’s Medical Affairs team.
“John is a proven industry and clinical leader with deep experience and understanding of our therapeutic area, and we are excited to welcome him to the Apnimed team,” said Larry Miller, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Apnimed. “His insights, building on contributions to Apnimed through previous participation on our Scientific Advisory Board, will be essential as we continue to advance our pipeline of pharmacologic treatments for obstructive sleep apnea and continue to build the Medical Affairs capabilities that will be vital to our success and the continued development of our lead candidate AD109.”
“There are significant unmet patient needs in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea that impact people’s health and well-being and result in life-shortening consequences. I’m excited to join the passionate team at Apnimed and be part of a shared commitment to revolutionizing the treatment of OSA,” said Dr. Cronin.
Dr. Cronin brings significant industry and clinical experience to his role at Apnimed. He joins Apnimed from Philips Respironics, where he served as Chief Medical Officer in Sleep and Respiratory Care. In this role, he provided key input to the strategic, research, regulatory, and quality objectives for the global medical device maker’s diagnostic and therapeutic portfolio. Prior to Philips, Dr. Cronin built his clinical and research career at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, CA, as the Medical Director of the Viterbi Family Sleep Center for more than 16 years. As a physician executive, he pursued innovation in care delivery as the Chief Medical Officer for BetterNight Medical Group, a venture-backed medical services organization that established a nationwide network of comprehensive sleep telehealth services for patients.
Dr. Cronin is board certified in Sleep, Critical Care and Pulmonary Medicine. He received a B.A. from Georgetown University before completing his M.D. at Vanderbilt Medical School and clinical training at Duke University in Durham, N.C., and at Mass General Brigham in Boston, Mass.
About AD109
Apnimed’s AD109 has the potential to be the first oral pharmacologic that treats OSA airway obstruction at night. It is a first-in-class, novel, investigational combination dosed once daily at bedtime and is designed to treat OSA patients across a broad spectrum of disease severity. AD109 combines a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (atomoxetine) with Apnimed’s new chemical entity and selective antimuscarinic (aroxybutynin). AD109 targets key neurological pathways in OSA that cause upper airway obstruction during sleep by activating the upper airway dilator muscles and maintaining an open airway during sleep. This drug combination has the potential to become a safe, effective, and convenient treatment for OSA, addressing some of the key limitations of the current device and surgical approaches that are the standard of care treatments. AD109 is currently completing Phase 2 clinical trials, after which Apnimed plans to meet with the FDA to discuss the Phase 3 development program.
About Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is one of the most common and serious sleep disorders and is estimated to affect more than 35 million Americans, though underdiagnosis continues to be a serious problem. OSA is characterized by partial or complete upper airway obstruction that occurs during sleep, which often leads to poor sleep, and in the long term, has been shown to exacerbate hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. Additionally, OSA can impair work productivity, reduce functional ability, and lower quality of life. Sleep-related muscular relaxation driven by the central nervous system is the key neurologic mechanism that causes OSA. In patients with OSA, a reduction in neuromuscular control of the upper airway during sleep leads to a corresponding relaxation of the upper airway dilator muscles. The vast majority of diagnosed patients are prescribed positive air pressure therapy devices such as continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, but many patients are dissatisfied with these mechanical nighttime devices and fewer than half are compliant long-term, leaving a significant population untreated, undertreated and at risk.
About Apnimed
Apnimed is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company working to transform the treatment of sleep apnea based on a simple idea – patients with obstructive sleep apnea could benefit from treatment with a safe and effective oral medication dosed once daily at bedtime. Apnimed’s lead development program targets the neurologic control of upper airway muscles to maintain an open airway during sleep. Based in Cambridge, Mass., the company is developing a portfolio of novel pharmacologic therapies for sleep apnea and related disorders. Learn more at apnimed.com or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
