CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apnimed, a clinical-stage company focused on advancing pharmacologic treatments for sleep apnea and related disorders, today announced that Luigi Taranto Montemurro, M.D., a co-founder of the company, has joined the team full-time as Medical Director. Dr. Taranto Montemurro brings extensive clinical experience in treating patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and has conducted seminal research responsible for the formation of the company. He is a recognized expert in the evaluation of pharmacotherapeutics for OSA and in the development of precision therapies targeted at OSA phenotypes.
“Luigi is a highly experienced pulmonologist and one of the leading experts on new pharmacologic modalities to treat OSA,” said Larry Miller, M.D. chief executive officer of Apnimed. “The prevalence of sleep apnea in the U.S. is increasing, and while current treatment devices can be effective, treatment compliance is extremely low, leaving patients in need of new therapeutic options. Luigi’s extensive knowledge of both the patient need and the pharmaceutical interventions that Apnimed is advancing through clinical study will help us accelerate multiple programs into clinical development.”
Prior to joining Apnimed, Dr. Taranto Montemurro was an Instructor of Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Mass., where he was Principal Investigator for several proof-of-concept studies in the field of OSA pharmacotherapies. Dr. Taranto Montemurro received his M.D. degree from the University of Brescia in Italy where he specialized in respiratory medicine. He completed post-doctoral fellowships in sleep medicine with a focus on OSA at both University of Toronto and Harvard Medical School.
About Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is one of the most common and serious sleep disorders and affects approximately six percent of women and 13 percent of men in the U.S., totaling more than 25 million Americans. OSA is characterized by partial or complete upper airway occlusion that occurs during sleep which may lead to poor sleep, and in the long-term, hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, strokes, and early mortality. OSA is also a major cause of motor vehicle accidents and workplace injuries. Over 80 percent of diagnosed patients are prescribed positive pressure devices such as CPAP, but only 30-40 percent are compliant long-term, leaving a significant population untreated and at risk. Apnimed expects its pharmacologic therapies to transform treatment of this serious sleep disorder.
About Apnimed
Apnimed is a clinical-stage company working to transform the treatment of sleep apnea based on a simple idea – patients will benefit from safe and effective oral drug treatment. Based in Cambridge, Mass., the company is developing a portfolio of novel pharmacologic therapies for sleep apnea and related disorders.
