In this new role, Rao will provide direction to global regulatory policies and strategies for Rocket programs to bring multiple therapies to patients with rare and devastating diseases. This will include oversight of regulatory strategy, patient advocacy initiatives, and rare disease natural history studies supporting Rocket's programs.
Rao most recently served as director of the Office of Orphan Products Development within the US Food and Drug Administration where she was responsible for implementing statutory programmes focused on promoting the development of medical products for rare diseases.
She previously was an associate chief counsel in the FDA's office of chief counsel where she advised on a variety of issues related to clinical trials, medical devices, and combination products.
Rao began her career at an international law firm in Washington, DC, where she focused on healthcare and food and drug law related matters.
She holds a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, a Master of Bioethics from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and an M.D. from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.
Rocket Pharmaceuticals is focused on developing first-in-class gene therapy treatment options for rare, undertreated diseases.
Its multi-platform development approach applies the well-established lentiviral vector and adeno-associated viral vector gene therapy platforms.
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