Impel NeuroPharma has announced the appointment of Sheena K. Aurora as VP of Medical Affairs, Migraine Franchise. Aurora will handle medical affairs strategy for Impel’s INP104 intranasal intranasal dihydroergotamine (DHE) for the treatment of acute migraine. The company announced the initiation of the Phase 3 STOP-301 study of INP104 in August 2018.
Aurora was most recently Senior Medical Fellow, Global Launch Leader at Eli Lilly and was previously a Clinical Associate Professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Her previous research includes several studies of MAP Pharmaceutical’s MAP0004 (Levadex, Semprana) inhaled DHE for the treatment of migraine, including the FREEDOM-301 study.
Impel Chief Medical Officer Stephen Shrewsbury said, “I am delighted that Sheena has chosen to join Impel at this exciting time for INP104. She brings nearly 25 years of acclaimed experience in primary headache disorders, both as a respected clinician and a cutting-edge researcher. Having worked with her previously on the MAP Pharmaceuticals program developing MAP0004, a dihydroergotamine (DHE) product, I know she will be an invaluable addition to the Impel team. As an organization, we are incredibly pleased that our technology and pipeline piqued the interest of someone of her caliber and we look forward to her contribution as we prepare to submit the New Drug Application (NDA) for INP104 later this year.”
Aurora commented, “My personal connection to migraine led me to devote my career to better understanding the pathophysiology of primary headache disorders and to empathize with the magnitude of impact they can have on those living with these debilitating diseases. Despite recent breakthroughs, there continues to be significant unmet need across the spectrum of migraine and other disabling headache disorders, particularly in acute treatment. I believe that INP104 has the potential to transform the way we manage acute migraine and I am excited to lend my experience as Impel ushers this promising program forward.”
Read the Impel NeuroPharma press release.