Victor Dzau joins the board of United Therapeutics, which is developing transplantable organs and organ alternatives
Victor Dzau joins the board of United Therapeutics, which is developing transplantable organs and organ alternatives
On July 23, United Therapeutics announced that it had appointed physician and researcher Victor Dzau to its board of directors on July 22. Dzau completed 12 years as president of the US National Academy of Medicine, returned to Duke University, and joined a company seeking ways to increase the number of organs available for transplantation.
A patient with end-stage organ failure needs a compatible organ, but donor organs are in short supply. United Therapeutics says it is developing transplantable organs and organ alternatives for these patients. In early July, the company acquired Thymmune, which is developing thymic cells. The thymus contributes to immune function, so the acquisition addresses one of the problems associated with transplantation: the body may reject the new organ.
The path from laboratory development to transplantation runs through clinical practice and hospitals. Dzau’s career helps illustrate this path. He studied cardiovascular disease and led a hospital system and university medical divisions. Dzau led the Duke University Health System and the medical divisions at Harvard and Stanford, then served for twelve years as president of the US National Academy of Medicine. His early research contributed to the development of ACE inhibitors, which are used to treat hypertension and heart failure. He now studies heart regeneration.
In the appointment announcement, Dzau explained why he joined the board:
“I am pleased to join the board and look forward to supporting United Therapeutics as it develops treatments for rare diseases and biomedical and bioengineering solutions intended to help address the severe shortage of organs available for transplantation.”
United Therapeutics has added a physician with experience in research, hospitals, and medical institutions to its board. For a company developing organ alternatives, this experience covers the same path that its technology must follow before it can reach patients.