RION names Biopharma Veteran Suneet Varma as Senior Advisor to Spearhead Expansion into Regenerative Therapeutics

ROCHESTER, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--RION, a clinical-stage regenerative medicine company at the forefront of exosome-based therapeutics, today announced the addition of Suneet Varma to their leadership team.

Suneet Varma was Global and U.S. President, Pfizer Oncology, committed to advancing medicines to make a meaningful difference for patients. During his tenure, Pfizer rose to become the third largest oncology company in the US in 2024 with an industry-leading portfolio of 25+ approved innovative cancer medicines and biosimilars across more than 40 indications. Suneet has always focused on leadership in delivering and launching the next wave of breakthroughs medicines and now brings his expertise to regenerative as a Senior Adviser on the RION leadership team.

“The addition of Suneet to our team represents an important next step for RION and the field of regenerative medicine,” said Atta Behfar, MD, PhD, co-founder of RION. “PEP™ (Purified Exosome Product) offers a groundbreaking approach to addressing the unmet needs of patients across several advanced wound care applications, autoimmune conditions and even small molecule delivery systems in the future. As we build out our capabilities, we believe Suneet will help RION maximize the potential therapeutic impact of PEP™.”

“I have been impressed with the leadership at RION and the pioneering regenerative science they have advanced. Their journey of scientific discovery and clinical development has positioned them to deliver potentially best in class, first in class novel exosome biologic therapeutics,” said Suneet Varma, new Senior Adviser at RION. “I look forward to the high impact we can have together for patients in need.”

About RION

RION was established out of Mayo Clinic after two decades of research and innovation. RION, located in Rochester, MN, is internationally recognized for its pioneering advancements in isolating and mass-producing platelet-derived regenerative exosomes into shelf stable PEP™.

RION is rewriting the regenerative medicine playbook. Our cutting-edge proprietary biomanufacturing platform crafts the future of regenerative therapy, unlocking the potent secrets within these tiny cellular messengers. RION’s regenerative PEP™ technology will be integral to the therapeutic exosome revolution.

About PEP™

RION's Purified Exosome Product™ (PEP™) is a shelf stable product in a lyophilized powder derived from human platelets that contains stabilized platelet-derived regenerative exosomes. Discovered at the Mayo Clinic Van Cleve Cardiac Regenerative Medicine Program, PEP™ is an exosome therapeutic that is designed to promote cell growth and formation of new blood vessels, while also reducing inflammation and protecting cells. RION and its scientific collaborators have performed extensive research showing the potential of PEP™ to heal a wide array of damaged tissue. The company is currently evaluating PEP™ in preclinical and clinical studies for several indications. While our focus remains on wound healing, multiple IND-enabling efforts in musculoskeletal, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease and women’s health disorders are creating new solutions where current standards of care cannot address unmet clinical needs.