Aurion Biotech Expands Leadership Team, Promoting Andrew Torres, Ph.D., to Chief Manufacturing Officer and Sterling Chung to Chief Regulatory & Quality Officer

Strategic appointments fuel global clinical and commercial development of AURN001, a transformational cell therapy with the potential to restore vision

SEATTLE & CAMBRIDGE, Mass. & TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aurion Biotech, a clinical-stage regenerative medicine company with a mission to restore vision to millions of patients, today announced the promotions of Andrew Torres, Ph.D., to Chief Manufacturing Officer and Sterling Chung to Chief Regulatory & Quality Officer. These strategic appointments were made as the company prepares to initiate a U.S. Phase 3 clinical trial in the first quarter of 2026.

Aurion Biotech is developing AURN001, an investigational, single-administration, allogeneic cell therapy for corneal endothelial disease, a condition that causes progressive vision loss in millions of patients worldwide.

“I’m proud to announce the promotions of Andrew Torres and Sterling Chung to Aurion Biotech’s executive team, signaling a new phase of growth as we prepare to launch a U.S. Phase 3 clinical trial in the first quarter of 2026 for our groundbreaking cell therapy AURN001,” said Arnaud Lacoste, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer, Aurion Biotech. “Andrew and Sterling have considerable experience in pharmaceuticals and biologics development and a unique ability to navigate highly complex regulatory environments. In a field of drug development where manufacturing and quality ecosystems have yet to be built, Andrew and Sterling’s unique skillsets will help Aurion achieve our mission to restore vision to the millions of people with corneal endothelial blindness.”

Andrew Torres joined Aurion to do something that had never been done before: develop a global manufacturing program for what could be the world’s first mass-scale cell therapy. He has been essential in leading external partners and internal teams to establish a cutting-edge, efficient, and globally compliant manufacturing program.

“I am proud of the instrumental role our team continues to play in building a best-in-class program,” said Andrew Torres. “My motivation is to serve patients by making our cell therapy scalable and accessible to those in need.”

Sterling Chung brings extensive global regulatory expertise and a proven track record of successfully achieving key regulatory milestones for innovative therapeutics with complex manufacturing and quality requirements. He has led Aurion’s key regulatory achievements across geographies, including the U.S. where AURN001 has obtained both Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) and Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD), as well as Canada, Europe and Central America. Sterling also oversees the company’s post-approval regulatory activities in Japan.

“Having spent my career at the intersection of global regulatory affairs and quality, I am excited to take on this new challenge,” said Sterling Chung. “Our team's work in securing key regulatory milestones is a testament to our relentless commitment to bringing innovative therapies to patients around the world.”

About Andrew Torres, Ph.D.

Andrew Torres leads manufacturing at Aurion Biotech. Andrew has a deep background in process development, analytical development, formulation, CMC regulatory strategy and operations, quality control, supply chain and GMP manufacturing. Before joining Aurion Biotech, Andrew held leadership roles at Molecular Templates, Neoleukin Therapeutics, Regeneron, and GE Global Research.

Andrew holds more than 30 patents and has authored numerous scientific articles. Andrew obtained a Ph.D. in chemistry from Northwestern University.

About Sterling Chung

Sterling Chung manages worldwide global regulatory affairs and quality for Aurion Biotech. He has more than 20 years of pharmaceutical experience, encompassing a broad range of functions including Regulatory Affairs, Quality Assurance, Pharmacovigilance, Medical Writing and Publications. In addition, he has worked on the successful submission and approval of multiple INDs, NDAs and sBLAs in the U.S., EU, Canada and Japan. Before joining Aurion Biotech, Sterling assumed increasing levels of senior leadership at Neoleukin Therapeutics, Molecular Templates, Immatics US, Seattle Genetics, Astellas Pharmaceuticals, Takeda Pharmaceuticals and Abbott Laboratories.

Sterling holds a B.A. in Political Science and a B.S. in Biology from the University of Michigan, and a Regulatory and Quality Assurance certificate from Purdue University.

About Aurion Biotech

Aurion Biotech’s mission is to restore vision to millions of patients with life-changing regenerative therapies. The company is developing AURN001, an investigational cell therapy for corneal endothelial disease. AURN001 is the first cell therapy for the corneal endothelium commercially launched in Japan and is advancing through clinical development in North America. Aurion received the prestigious Prix Galien award for Best Start-Up in Biotech in 2022. In 2025, Alcon acquired majority ownership of Aurion Biotech. For more information, visit www.aurionbiotech.com and follow us on LinkedIn.