Sironax Strengthens Leadership Team with Two Senior Appointments to Advance Age-Related Disease Pipeline
Key Insights
Sironax (search) appointed Nasir Khan, DVM, Ph.D., as Senior Vice President of Preclinical Development and Gary Ingenito, MD, Ph.D., as Senior Vice President of Clinical Development to strengthen its leadership team.
Dr. Khan brings over 30 years of experience leading nonclinical safety advancement for more than 400 preclinical candidates and 63 drug approvals including Celebrex, Ibrance, and Comirnaty.
Dr. Ingenito contributes three decades of pharmaceutical development experience across neuromuscular and neurodegenerative diseases (search), having previously served as Chief Medical and Regulatory Officer at Catalyst Pharmaceuticals.
Sironax (search), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on age-related degenerative diseases (search), announced two key leadership appointments to strengthen its drug development capabilities. The company appointed Nasir Khan, DVM, Ph.D., as Senior Vice President of Preclinical Development, effective October 20, 2025, and Gary Ingenito, MD, Ph.D., as Senior Vice President of Clinical Development, effective November 1, 2025.
Both executives will report to Dr. Shefali Agarwal, Sironax (search) President and CEO, and will be based at the company's administrative headquarters in Waltham, Massachusetts. The appointments come as Sironax advances its pipeline of three clinical-stage programs, four potentially first- or best-in-class assets, and several early-stage preclinical programs.
"We are pleased to have added exceptional leadership to further expand and advance our pipeline," said Dr. Agarwal. "Dr. Khan and Dr. Ingenito bring significant expertise within global drug discovery and development that has led to important new treatments for patients. We look forward to leveraging their expertise as we progress with innovative clinical development to drive our corporate growth."
Extensive Preclinical Development Experience
Dr. Khan brings over 30 years of experience in nonclinical safety, having led the advancement of more than 400 preclinical candidates and 300 investigational new drug/clinical trial application submissions. His track record includes 63 new drug application/biologics license application approvals across diverse therapeutic areas, including notable drugs such as Celebrex, Ibrance, and Comirnaty.
His expertise spans small molecules, biologics, antibody-drug conjugates, gene therapies, and vaccines. Prior to joining Sironax (search), Dr. Khan served as Chief Nonclinical Safety Officer at Pfizer, where he oversaw the nonclinical safety of the company's global drug and vaccine portfolio.
Dr. Khan is a board-certified pathologist and toxicologist, served as a visiting professor with China Agricultural University in Beijing, and serves as an international editor for the Journal of Toxicological Sciences. He holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (Pakistan), and a Ph.D. in Veterinary Pathology from the Ohio State University.
"I am impressed with Sironax (search)'s integrated, highly capable, and experienced team and the company's comprehensive research capabilities in discovery biology, medicinal chemistry, and translational science," said Dr. Khan. "These capabilities have led to innovative target exploration yielding a number of potentially promising assets to date. I am excited to be able to lead efforts to further expand these important drug development efforts in areas of critical therapeutic need, drawing upon my experience in big pharma."
Clinical Development Leadership
Dr. Ingenito contributes more than 30 years of pharmaceutical development experience across drugs, biologics, medical devices, and combination products. He has held executive responsibilities for clinical research, regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance, and medical affairs at pharmaceutical companies and contract research organizations.
His development and regulatory experience includes products ranging from early stage through post-approval in neuromuscular and neurodegenerative diseases (search), neurology, and multiple other therapeutic areas across the U.S., Europe, and Japan. His portfolio includes work on aripiprazole, 3,4-diaminopyridine phosphate (search), IVIG (intravenous immunoglobulin), and cilostazole.
Before joining Sironax (search), Dr. Ingenito served as Chief Medical and Regulatory Officer at Catalyst Pharmaceuticals and previously worked in senior capacities at several leading companies, most recently Boehringer Ingelheim.
Dr. Ingenito holds a B.A. in biology and psychology from The Johns Hopkins University, an M.D. from Jefferson Medical College, and a Ph.D. in microbiology/immunology from Thomas Jefferson University. He completed a post-graduate residency in neurology at the University of Miami and serves as a member of the Board of Directors at the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute.
"As lifespan increases and we seek to enhance the quality of the years we live, degenerative diseases associated with aging represent an increasingly critical global healthcare issue. However, many of these conditions have limited or no treatments," commented Dr. Ingenito. "Sironax (search) has an exceptional research and science foundation and a highly experienced international development team. I am honored to be part of this global organization, working together to develop new treatment options for patients with degenerative as well as other debilitating diseases."
Pipeline Focus on Age-Related Diseases
Founded in 2017, Sironax (search) has built a diverse pipeline targeting key mechanisms underlying age-related degenerative diseases (search), including dysregulated cellular death, uncontrolled inflammation, and disrupted energy homeostasis. The company is currently conducting clinical studies with SIR2501, SIR4156, and SIR9900, in addition to ongoing preclinical research.
The company was named to the 2025 Endpoints 11 list of the most promising biotech startups, reflecting recognition of its potential in addressing unmet medical needs in age-related degenerative diseases (search).