Aruvant Sciences Inc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, has named V 'Palani' Palaniappan, PhD as its new chief technology officer effective immediately, it was reported on Monday.

In the new role, Dr Palaniappan will be responsible for growing the company's technical and manufacturing capabilities for present and future programs. He is to manage the production of ARU-1801, a one-time, potentially curative investigational gene therapy for patients with sickle cell disease administered with only reduced intensity conditioning.

Prior to joining Aruvant Sciences Inc, he has served Sarepta as senior vice president, head of global technical operations and head of the Andover and Burlington sites. Dr Palaniappan has worked at Takeda for more than a decade, where he headed teams based in the United States and Japan focused on CMC development and manufacturing of novel modality products, including recombinant biologics and cell-based and live microbe products. He has also worked in various development and product manufacturing roles of increasing responsibility at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Biogen and Nexstar Pharmaceuticals.