OUR
MISSION
Aronora is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company committed to developing and commercializing novel medicines for blood diseases with significant unmet medical need. We have a talented and dedicated team of scientists and clinicians with extensive experience in pharmaceutical product development, from discovery through commercialization. Our robust pipeline of innovative product candidates target disease modifying pathways with unique mechanisms of action. We aim to bring these exciting new therapies to patients in need.
OUR
MISSION
Aronora is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company committed to developing and commercializing novel medicines for blood diseases with significant unmet medical need. We have a talented and dedicated team of scientists and clinicians with extensive experience in pharmaceutical product development, from discovery through commercialization. Our robust pipeline of innovative product candidates target disease modifying pathways with unique mechanisms of action. We aim to bring these exciting new therapies to patients in need.
LEADERSHIP
TEAM
LEADERSHIP
TEAM
Erik I. Tucker, Ph.D., President & CEO
Co-founder of Aronora, serving as both Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer from 2012-2021 before being appointed CEO. Dr. Tucker is a talented scientist and entrepreneur, having led his team from product discovery to two INDs and four successful clinical trials. He has more than 90 issued patents, authored >40 scientific articles, and has raised significant non-dilutive funding through a combination of small business grants from the National Institutes of Health SBIR program, a strategic alliance with Bayer, and a royalty monetization deal with XOMA Corporation. He is also an experienced angel investor, federal grant reviewer, and bioscience mentor. Dr. Tucker received his B.S. from the University of Oregon and Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Oregon Health & Science University. He also holds an adjunct faculty position in biomedical engineering within OHSU’s School of Medicine.
Norah Verbout, Ph.D., Director of Strategic Partnerships
Dr. Verbout joined Aronora in 2010, contributing to Aronora’s product development team and the formation of external collaborations with academia, contract research organizations, and industry. She subsequently became Director of Strategic Partnerships in 2021, supporting Aronora’s fundraising efforts and development strategy. During her time at Aronora, Dr. Verbout managed the AB002 drug development program from preclinical evaluation, IND, phase 1, and phase 2. Prior to joining Aronora, Dr. Verbout received her Ph.D. in physiology and pharmacology at Oregon Health & Science University, and completed her postdoctoral training on mechanisms of inflammation and asthma at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Dr. Verbout has co-authored 21 scientific publications and has been PI on multiple NIH grants totaling $7M+.
Christina U. Lorentz, Ph.D., Director of Clinical Operations
Dr. Lorentz has served as Director of Clinical Operations at Aronora since 2019. Having previously served as Senior Scientist and Project Manager, Dr. Lorentz has directed the AB023 preclinical and clinical development program, including CMC oversight, coordination of the preclinical safety program, successful IND filing, and subsequent completion of phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials. Dr. Lorentz completed a Ph.D. in physiology and pharmacology from Oregon Health & Science University followed by a post-doctoral fellowship at the Weill Cornell Medical College. Her scientific work prior to Aronora focused on the role of proneurotrophins in remodeling of the cardiac microvasculature and sympathetic neurons after myocardial infarction.