Dr. Richard Fahrner and Dr. Tamara Agajanov add expertise in accelerated approvals
Vyome Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HIND), a clinical-stage healthcare holding company, today announced the appointment of Dr. Richard Fahrner as Chief Technology Officer and Dr. Tamara Agajanov, MD, as Senior Vice President – Clinical Development.
Dr. Fahrner brings to Vyome over 25 years of experience in drug development, recently serving as the head of pharmaceutical development at Ra Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired by UCB in a $2.5B deal. He also served as a research and development leader at Catabasis, Pfizer, Sanofi and Gilead. Dr. Fahrner has been involved with the development of more than 17 approved medicines, including Vpriv and Elaprase, which were granted accelerated approvals by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA). Dr. Fahrner received his PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from UCLA.
Dr. Agajanov brings nearly 30 years of experience in clinical operations and clinical development, with a focus in oncology, immunology, and inflammation. She has served as SVP of Global Clinical Operations at Neurvati Neurosciences, VP of Clinical Operations at Ovid Therapeutics, Therapeutic Area Head of Oncology at Boehringer Ingelheim, and Associate Director of Immunology, Inflammation and Infectious Disease at Roche. Her leadership has been central to advancing multiple programs through late-stage clinical development.
“Both Dr. Fahrner and Dr. Agajanov have led the development of multiple products during their long careers and their expertise in accelerated approvals aligns with our strategy of designing robust but cost-efficient trials,” said Dr. Shiladitya Sengupta, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Founder of Vyome. “We are delighted that both Dr. Agajanov and Dr. Fahrner decided to join the Vyome team, significantly bolstering our depth in developing next-generation therapies, as we embark on pivotal studies with our leading asset.”
Vyome is currently conducting a Ph2 study in malignant fungating wounds (MFW), a potential multi-billion dollar market opportunity. Topline results from this study are expected by October 2025.
“I am excited to join Vyome at this critical stage. The company has assembled a strong pipeline of scientifically and clinically validated programs that can create tremendous value in the near term,” said Dr. Fahrner. “The interim Phase 2 results in MFW are very encouraging, and this is an opportunity to develop a first-in-class therapy for patients with limited treatment options.”
“The addition of these leaders marks an important milestone in Vyome’s growth journey. We are now properly capitalized and have the right team in place to unlock the next milestones of value in our lead programs,” said Venkat Nelabhotla, CEO of Vyome. “Dr. Fahrner and Dr. Agajanov’s proven track records in drug development and clinical leadership add depth to our goal of creating shareholder value, especially given the promising interim Phase 2 data in malignant fungating wounds.”
