Revolutionary direct RNA-targeting technology opening a new frontier of prohibiting the production of proteins associated with disease
DURHAM, N.C., Jan. 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ribometrix Inc. ("Ribometrix”), an RNA-targeting preclinical biotechnology company developing a best-in-class platform to discover and develop small molecule therapeutics that selectively bind and modulate cellular mRNAs to correct disease-causing protein expression, today announced the appointments of William (Bill) S. Marshall, Ph.D., as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Katie Warner, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO). Dr. Marshall succeeds Michael Solomon, Ph.D.
Ribometrix is building a pipeline of wholly owned programs leveraging its proprietary RNA-targeting small-molecule platform. After years of pioneering advances to mature its platform, the company's lead program has achieved the first-in-field breakthrough of identifying a small molecule mRNA binder that reduces downstream protein expression via a well-described mechanism of action with a significant commercial market. Ribometrix's cutting-edge technology also enables the discovery and design of RNA-degrading small molecules if direct RNA inhibition is not possible.
"The Board is delighted to have Bill become our new CEO, as he is uniquely qualified to assume this role. In addition to first-hand company knowledge, Bill is a superb scientist and leader with biotech CEO experience,” said Michael Clayman, M.D., Ribometrix's Board Chair. "We are confident that under his direction, Ribometrix is poised to unlock the potential of small molecule RNA binders that downregulate protein expression. Further supporting that confidence is the outstanding team and the promotion of Dr. Warner from SVP, RNA Biology, to CSO. The Board thanks Dr. Solomon for his extraordinary contributions and commitment during his tenure."
Dr. Marshall was President, CEO, Co-Founder and Director of miRagen, a discovery and development RNA-based therapeutics company. Prior, he was Vice President of Technology and Business Development for Bioscience at Thermo Fisher Scientific where he led technology assessment and strategic planning for the biosciences division. Dr. Marshall was a scientific founder of Dharmacon, Inc., which was acquired by Fisher Scientific International. He also held roles with increasing responsibility at Amgen, Inc., including Associate Director of Research, Site Head for Research and Head of the Nucleic Acid and Peptide Technology Department. Dr. Marshall earned his B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his Ph.D. in Chemistry in the laboratory of Professor Marvin Caruthers at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He has authored over 50 research papers and 80 patents.
"I look forward to leading Ribometrix at this pivotal moment of redefining drug discovery by identifying RNA-targeting small molecules. This innovation is a significant step forward in the field, further validating RNA as a transformative therapeutic opportunity,” said Dr. Marshall, CEO of Ribometrix. "As we continue to expand our pipeline, we're actively seeking strategic partnerships and financing to accelerate the development of our proprietary RNA-targeting platform. Together, we hope to revolutionize how diseases are treated by creating novel, oral treatments for patients who lack therapeutic options."
Dr. Warner co-founded Ribometrix, leading the development of the company's small molecule RNA-targeting platform. Before founding Ribometrix, Dr. Warner was an early pioneer of RNA SHAPE technologies, demonstrating with Kevin Weeks that SHAPE data can be used to accurately determine RNA secondary structure. Working with Adrian Ferré-D'Amaré and Chris Abell, she demonstrated the first structure-based proof-of-principle that RNA is targetable by fragments. Dr. Warner received a B.A. in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an M.Phil. in Pathology and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Cambridge.
"I am honored to become CSO at this exciting time for RNA drug discovery. Our cutting-edge platform has achieved a key breakthrough-demonstrating that small molecule binding to a specific mRNA structure can inhibit protein expression,” said Dr. Warner. "This validation of RNA as a small molecule therapeutic target expands the possibilities for addressing critical unmet needs across therapeutic areas.”
About Ribometrix Inc.
Ribometrix Inc. ("Ribometrix”) is a preclinical biotechnology company developing a best-in-class platform to discover and develop small molecule therapeutics that selectively bind and modulate cellular mRNAs to thereby correct the expression of disease-causing proteins. Building on nearly a decade of pioneering advances to realize the full potential of this new modality, the company has now achieved the first-in-field breakthrough of identifying a drug-like small molecule ligand that reduces the levels of a therapeutically relevant protein solely through binding to the targeted encoding mRNA. This successful leveraging of a well-described mechanism of action without the need for additional functionality is being complemented by the mature platform's ongoing development of versatile and selective RNA-degrading warheads for cases where binding alone will not deliver a therapeutic effect. Backed by funding from blue-chip venture capital and partners including Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Genentech, Ribometrix is building a pipeline of wholly owned programs. For details, visit https://ribometrix.com.
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