11 April 2018 - - Cambridge, Massachusetts-based orphan drug accelerator Cydan has appointed Imran A. Babar, PhD as chief business officer to help the company advance new and innovative therapies for patients living with rare monogenetic diseases, the company said.
In his new role, he will be responsible for strategy, business development, and negotiation as well as equity investments.
Babar joins the company from OrbiMed Advisors, a healthcare-dedicated investment firm, where he was a vice president on the private equity team.
He is also co-founder and chief scientific officer for Rare Genomics Institute, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to helping rare disease patients get access to cutting-edge research.
Babar previously worked as an associate at Cowen and Company on the biotechnology equity research team, and as a molecular biology researcher at Yale University, where he worked in the laboratory of Dr. Frank Slack, a pioneer in the microRNA field.
Babar earned his BA in biology from Carleton College and his PhD in Molecular Biology from Yale University. His work has appeared in top publications, including PNAS, Nature, Cancer Research and Cell.
Cydan is dedicated to delivering therapies that will significantly improve the lives of people living with rare genetic diseases.
The company evaluates new experimental therapies and advances those with the highest potential to be disease modifying treatments. Its goal is to launch new companies focused on developing promising therapies for rare genetic diseases with high unmet medical need.