AIRNA Strengthens Executive Team with CFO and COO Appointments
AIRNA, a biotechnology company pioneering the development of RNA editing therapeutics to transform the lives of patients living with both rare and common diseases, today announced the appointment of two seasoned executives to its leadership team. Allison Dorval has joined as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and Niru Subramanian has been named Chief Operating Officer (COO). Together, they bring decades of experience in finance, strategy, business development, and company-building within the life sciences industry.
The new appointments come at a pivotal time for AIRNA, as the company advances its lead therapeutic candidate, AIR-001, toward the clinic. AIR-001 is being developed as a potential best-in-class treatment for patients with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), a serious genetic condition with limited treatment options.
“AIRNA is at an exciting inflection point as we prepare for AIR-001 to enter the clinic,” said Kris Elverum, President and Chief Executive Officer of AIRNA. “Both Allison and Niru bring tremendous leadership and deep experience in building innovative biotech companies. Their expertise will be invaluable as we accelerate the development of AIR-001, expand our RNA editing pipeline, and ultimately deliver on the promise of our technology for patients who urgently need new options.”
A Proven Financial Leader
Ms. Dorval joins AIRNA with more than 25 years of experience guiding financial strategy, operational planning, and capital formation for high-growth biotechnology companies. Most recently, she served as Chief Financial Officer at Verve Therapeutics, where she played a central role in financial planning and corporate strategy. During her tenure, she helped position Verve for long-term success, including its acquisition by Eli Lilly.
Prior to Verve, Ms. Dorval served as CFO of Voyager Therapeutics, where she led financing efforts and supported the company through multiple stages of clinical development. Earlier in her career, she held senior leadership roles in finance at several biopharma companies, developing a track record of strengthening financial foundations while enabling scientific innovation.
Reflecting on her new role, Ms. Dorval said: “AIRNA has an extraordinary opportunity to build a diversified business by advancing RNA editing therapeutics, starting with its first-in-class program for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. The company’s platform has the potential to deliver safe, convenient, and transformative genetic medicines for patients across a broad spectrum of diseases. I am excited to partner with this talented team to help scale the business and bring these breakthrough medicines to patients.”
A Strategic and Operational Expert
Ms. Subramanian brings more than 25 years of leadership experience spanning business development, strategy, and operational execution across both large pharmaceutical companies and emerging biotechnology firms. She most recently served as Chief Operating Officer of Orbital Therapeutics, where she guided portfolio strategy and company operations. Before that, she was COO of Rheos Medicines, overseeing cross-functional execution during a period of significant growth and scientific advancement.
Earlier in her career, Ms. Subramanian held a senior leadership role at Agios Pharmaceuticals, where she led corporate development and planning. At Agios, she was instrumental in structuring and driving the $2 billion sale of the company’s oncology portfolio to Servier. She also spent over a decade at Novartis in multiple leadership positions, where she honed her expertise in global development and strategic portfolio management.
“Patients with AATD and other genetic diseases are in urgent need of innovative therapeutic solutions,” said Ms. Subramanian. “AIRNA’s RNA editing platform is highly differentiated, leveraging human genetics to build a broad and robust pipeline across multiple therapeutic areas. I am thrilled to join AIRNA at this critical moment, as the company prepares to bring its first program into clinical development.”
Looking Ahead
With the additions of Ms. Dorval and Ms. Subramanian, AIRNA has significantly strengthened its executive leadership bench. Their complementary expertise in financial strategy, operational execution, and company-building will support the company’s mission to pioneer RNA editing medicines that can address diseases previously thought untreatable.
As AIRNA advances AIR-001 toward the clinic and broadens its research pipeline, the company is positioning itself to play a leading role in the next generation of genetic medicine.
About AIRNA
AIRNA is harnessing advances in genetics to develop transformative RNA-editing medicines that improve human health across both rare and broad populations. RNA editing offers the precision of genetic medicine approaches while maintaining treatment convenience, flexibility, and reversibility. Our proprietary platform is based on groundbreaking research by pioneers of the field and company co-founders Thorsten Stafforst (University of Tübingen) and Jin Billy Li (Stanford University), and enables optimal potency, safety, and delivery.
AIRNA is advancing a robust pipeline of therapeutic candidates that are designed to provide functional cures for severe or chronic diseases by repairing harmful genetic variants or introducing beneficial variants that promote optimal health. AIRNA’s lead program has the potential to be a transformative therapeutic for patients with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD). AIRNA has headquarters in Cambridge, MA, with research operations in Tübingen, Germany. Learn more at https://airna.com/.
