Heart Failure Program and Leadership Change Announced by RyCarma
RyCarma Therapeutics, Inc., formerly known as ARMGO Pharma, is a clinical-stage biotech company focused on developing first-in-class small molecule therapeutics for cardiovascular and skeletal muscle diseases. Today, the company announced its leadership changes and name change from “ARMGO Pharma, Inc.” to “RyCarma Therapeutics, Inc.”
The new name reflects RyCarma’s expertise in ryanodine receptor (RyR) biology and its pioneering work with Rycals®, a novel class of small molecule drugs. RyCarma also introduced a new heart failure program, centered on its lead candidate, ARM210, for the treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, a condition that affects millions globally. Additionally, ARM210 is being investigated for ryanodine receptor 1-related myopathies (RYR1-RM), a group of rare neuromuscular diseases linked to mutations in the RYR1 gene.
RyCarma Therapeutics, Inc. (formerly ARMGO Pharma) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing innovative small molecule therapeutics for cardiovascular and skeletal muscle diseases. The company today introduced several new members of its leadership team, who bring a wealth of experience in guiding biotech companies and navigating the drug development process. The new leadership team includes Adam Rosenberg, Chief Executive Officer, Jonathan Alspaugh, President & Chief Strategy Officer, and Sanjay Jalota, Senior Vice President of Regulatory.
Adam Rosenberg, who recently served as CEO of Aliada Therapeutics and Sionna Therapeutics, brings decades of leadership experience in innovative biotechnology companies. His expertise in guiding early- and late-stage drug development will be pivotal as RyCarma advances its therapeutics.
Jonathan Alspaugh, President & Chief Strategy Officer, brings 15 years of experience in advising biotech and biopharma companies on financial and strategic matters, positioning RyCarma to expand its footprint in the competitive biotech landscape. Sanjay Jalota, Senior Vice President of Regulatory, is a seasoned regulatory strategist, who will lead the effort to guide RyCarma’s compounds through both early- and late-stage development, ensuring a smooth regulatory process.
Commenting on the team’s new strategic direction, Adam Rosenberg said, “RyCarma will build on our long-term focus on the central role of RyRs in human biology, a concept pioneered by our founder, Dr. Andrew Marks. Dr. Marks is a globally recognized leader in RyR science, having cloned the receptor and described its atomic structure. Despite other advances in heart failure treatments, there remains a significant unmet need, with high mortality rates and frequent hospitalizations. Our team is committed to leveraging our expertise in Rycal therapeutics to address these challenges and improve patient outcomes.”
RyCarma’s lead candidate, ARM210, is designed to repair dysfunctional ryanodine receptors (RyRs), which are ion channels critical to regulating the intracellular flow of calcium. This process is essential for muscle contraction. In a Phase 1b trial involving patients with ryanodine receptor 1-related myopathies (RYR1-RM), ARM210 demonstrated improvements in fatigue and proximal muscle strength. The drug was well-tolerated, with no dose-dependent safety issues or serious adverse events.
These promising results for RYR1-RM patients highlight ARM210’s potential. The therapy’s application for heart failure is equally groundbreaking, as ARM210 may be the first treatment to directly repair leaky RyRs in both cardiac and skeletal muscles. This dual action could enhance heart function and alleviate skeletal muscle weakness, a common symptom that current heart failure treatments do not address.
Dr. Andrew Marks, RyCarma’s founder, expressed his enthusiasm for the company’s new strategic direction: “I am thrilled with RyCarma’s new leadership team and their commitment to advancing Rycals and the first-in-kind mechanism that targets RyRs. The past decade has seen incredible advances in our understanding of RyR biology, with structural, genetic, and physiological data converging. RyCarma is leading the way in developing therapeutics targeting RyRs to treat devastating diseases like RYR1-RM and heart failure.”
RyCarma Therapeutics builds on the foundational research of Dr. Andrew Marks, who cloned the ryanodine receptor and made significant contributions to understanding its structure. RyCarma holds an exclusive license for its RyR technology from Columbia University, based on Dr. Marks’ groundbreaking research. The company’s drug discovery platform leverages its deep knowledge of RyRs, which play a crucial role in regulating the flow of calcium ions in nearly all cell types. RyCarma’s lead program, ARM210, is currently in development for treating heart failure and RYR1-RM.
The company’s strong leadership team and promising therapeutic pipeline position RyCarma at the forefront of developing innovative treatments for cardiovascular and skeletal muscle diseases. With a commitment to targeting RyR biology, RyCarma aims to address significant unmet medical needs and improve the lives of patients worldwide.
About RyCarma Therapeutics
RyCarma Therapeutics, formerly ARMGO Pharma, is a clinical-stage biotech company developing first-in-class small molecule therapeutics for cardiovascular and skeletal muscle diseases. The company’s drug discovery platform is based on its expertise in ryanodine receptors (RyRs), which regulate the intracellular flow of calcium ions. RyCarma holds an exclusive license from Columbia University for its RyR technology, and its lead program, ARM210, is currently in development for the treatment of heart failure and RYR1-RM.
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