4 February 2019 - - US-based biopharmaceutical company Lung Therapeutics, Inc has hired Charles T. Garner as chief financial officer and appointed R.A. Session, II, to the company's board of directors, the company said.

Garner and Session both join Lung Therapeutics at a time of growth and expansion for the company.

In the past twelve months, Lung Therapeutics successfully completed a multi-site clinical trial of its lead drug candidate, LTI-01, in patients with Loculated Pleural Effusion.

Moreover, the company completed IND-enabling studies and further proof of mechanism studies for its second product candidate, LTI-03, in development for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Garner brings over 20 years of investment banking, corporate finance, business development and financial operational experience to Lung Therapeutics.

Most recently, Garner was a life sciences industry consultant to private and public life sciences companies, providing financial and advisory services.

Prior to this, he was chief financial officer and Chief Business officer for Recro Pharma, Inc., successfully leading the company's initial public offering and acquisition of select assets from Alkermes, plc.

Garner began his professional career as a certified public accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers and, while an investment banker for Deutsche Bank AG, raised or advised on more than USD 8bn of financial and advisory transactions for healthcare clients.

Session has almost 20 years' experience in the life sciences industry, primarily in business development, corporate strategy and financial roles.

Currently, he is chief business officer of the gene therapy subsidiaries of BridgeBio Pharma.

Prior to this, Session served as senior vice president of corporate strategy and business development for AveXis, Inc., prior to its USD 8.7bn sale to Novartis AG.

Before joining AveXis, he served in various roles for PTC Therapeutics, Inc., including vice president of commercial development.

Session's previous roles include senior manager of commercial portfolio and post deal analytics in the managed markets group at AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. He also held several positions, including senior financial analyst, in the strategic business group of the pharmaceutical division of Johnson and Johnson.

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Lung Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company formed to leverage decades of leading research in orphan, pulmonary indications for which there is an unmet medical need.

The company's lead drug, LTI-01, is in development for Loculated Pleural Effusion and has successfully completed a clinical trial in LPE patients. The company's second drug candidate, LTI-03, is in development for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and is ready to enter clinical development.