Brixton Biosciences Strengthens Board with Industry Veterans as Company Advances Towards Commercialization of Reneurx™ Nerve-Selective Therapy for Pain Associated with Knee Osteoarthritis

- John Maraganore, Ph.D., Brent Saunders and Elton Brand join Board of Directors -

- Marketing authorization request for Reneurx™ therapy submitted to U.S. FDA; decision anticipated before year end 2026 -

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Brixton Biosciences (Brixton), a clinical-stage life sciences company focused on developing a nerve-selective biomaterial designed to provide targeted and durable relief from pain, today announced the appointment of three new members to its Board of Directors: founding CEO of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and RNAi pioneer, John Maraganore, Ph.D.; CEO of Bausch + Lomb and biopharma deal-maker, Brent Saunders; and former General Manager, Philadelphia 76ers, Elton Brand. The appointments come as Brixton prepares for U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) marketing authorization and commercialization of its lead investigational product, Reneurx™ Nerve-Selective Therapy.

Reneurx therapy is an investigational first-in-class, nerve-selective biomaterial that is injected around a target treatment area to interrupt pain signals. Reneurx therapy has the potential to minimize or eliminate the use of opioids and avoid the possible chondrotoxic effect of corticosteroids. Brixton submitted a De Novo request to the FDA seeking marketing authorization for Reneurx therapy for patients with pain related to knee osteoarthritis. The request was based on a head-to-head pivotal trial comparing the therapy with a steroid injection. Data from the trial will be presented at a medical meeting later this year. De Novo decision is anticipated by the end of 2026.

“We believe that Reneurx therapy has the potential to truly address ongoing challenges in musculoskeletal pain management. Current systemic and non-surgical approaches to pain relief for those with knee osteoarthritis are limited, inconsistent or damaging, and often result in patients living with chronic pain for decades. With Reneurx therapy, patients could potentially benefit from 6 or more months of sustained pain relief and improved quality of life from a single treatment,” said Sameer Sabir, Chief Executive Officer of Brixton Biosciences.

“As we look towards sharing data from our pivotal trial and anticipate our first FDA marketing authorization of Reneurx therapy for those with pain related to knee osteoarthritis, we’re focused on building the team and infrastructure needed to bring this transformative treatment option to patients. John, Brent, and Elton each bring a distinct and highly relevant perspective to Brixton at a pivotal moment for the Company. Their collective experience spans building and commercializing breakthrough medicines, scaling healthcare businesses through major growth, and understanding pain and performance from the patient’s point of view,” continued Sabir.

John Maraganore, Ph.D.

Dr. John Maraganore was the founding CEO of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, leading the company from early RNAi research to the global approval and commercialization of its first five RNAi medicines. Prior to Alnylam, Dr. Maraganore served as an officer and member of the management team at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, overseeing the oncology, cardiovascular, inflammatory, and metabolic franchises, as well as M&A and strategy. Before that, he was director of Molecular Biology and director of Market and Business Development at Biogen, Inc., where he also invented and led the discovery and development of ANGIOMAX^® (bivalirudin) for injection. He currently serves as Co-CEO of a cardiovascular medicine company, Corsera Health, acts as a partner or advisor of a number of leading investment firms, and is a Director for several publicly traded and privately held biopharmaceutical companies. Dr. Maraganore also serves on the Board of BIO, the Termeer Foundation, and many other advisory boards supporting innovation in life sciences. He earned his B.A., M.S., and Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of Chicago.

“Chronic pain remains one of the largest and most underserved areas in medicine, and Brixton’s localized, non-opioid approach aims to offer a differentiated, physical disruption of pain signaling versus standard systemic drug approaches,” said Dr. Maraganore. “I’ve spent my career helping science-driven companies translate breakthrough research into medicines that reach patients, and I’m excited to help guide Brixton through its next stage of growth as it prepares to bring forward a new biological and potentially disruptive approach to pain relief.”

Brent Saunders

Brent Saunders is the CEO of the Board of Bausch + Lomb, a leading global eye health company, where he draws on more than 20 years of executive leadership experience at several major companies. In addition to his role with Bausch + Lomb, he serves as Chairman of both The Beauty Health Company and Roam. Throughout his career, he has built some of the most globally recognized consumer brands, including Botox, Claritin and Coppertone and has spearheaded groundbreaking mergers and acquisitions totaling over $300 billion in medical aesthetics, biomedical and health-related sectors. Mr. Saunders has held a number of executive leadership positions including President and CEO of Forest Laboratories, CEO of Actavis, and Chairman, President and CEO of Allergan. Earlier in his career, Mr. Saunders was a Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, President of Schering-Plough, and served in a previous tenure as President and CEO of Bausch + Lomb. Mr. Saunders holds a B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh, a J.D. from the Temple University School of Law, and an M.B.A. from the Temple University School of Business.

“Given the massively underserved chronic pain market, there’s enormous opportunity for Reneurx therapy as a drug-free alternative for pain relief. The platform innovation is reminiscent of the Botox brand and I’m excited to help Brixton as it evaluates the broader applicability of its nerve-selective therapy beyond knee osteoarthritis. Potential indications for hip and thumb pain, as well as migraine, represent more than 100 million patients. I look forward to working with the Board and management team to help build a focused, impactful commercial and market strategy that ensures Reneurx therapy reaches physicians and patients who need it,” said Mr. Saunders.

Elton Brand

Elton Brand is a former professional basketball player with the National Basketball Association (NBA) who most recently served as general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers. Mr. Brand played in the NBA for 17 years before transitioning to a front-office role with the 76ers, where he also served as Vice President of Basketball Operations. Mr. Brand played college basketball at Duke University, helped lead the Blue Devils to the 1999 NCAA Championship game, and was also named 1999 consensus NCAA National Player of the Year. Brand was selected with the first overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. He went on to win the NBA's Co-Rookie of the Year with Houston Rockets Guard Steve Francis and was named a two-time NBA All-Star later in his playing career.

“Having played 17 seasons in the NBA, I have seen firsthand how debilitating joint injuries and chronic joint pain can be in maintaining an active lifestyle. Brixton’s mission to developing therapies to minimize pain intrigued me greatly and resonates with my personal desire to best manage chronic conditions. I’m honored to join the Board and support the Brixton team in their mission to give people their mobility and quality of life back,” said Mr. Brand.

About Brixton Biosciences

Brixton Biosciences is a clinical-stage life sciences company developing a novel, first-in-class nerve-selective biomaterial designed to provide targeted and durable pain relief. The Company’s flagship investigational product, Reneurx™ Nerve-Selective Therapy, is locally injected around nerves to interrupt pain signals. In its first indication for patients with knee osteoarthritis, clinical data demonstrates that patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis may experience up to 6 months of meaningful pain relief. Brixton's pipeline includes additional programs for lateral hip and thumb joint pain, migraine, and potential applications in many other areas. For more information, visit www.brixtonbio.com.