PHOTO | Courtesy Robert Bitterman
Robert Bitterman has been named the CEO at Phio Pharmaceuticals.
February 8, 2023
Holy Cross grad aims to lead Phio Pharmaceuticals cancer research into clinical development
Photo | Courtesy Phio Pharmaceuticals
Phio Pharmaceuticals lab coats
By Isabel Tehan
Marlborough biopharma Phio Pharmaceuticals is ushering in a new strategic plan seeking to reposition the company from pure discovery research to full development, utilizing clinical trials.
As part of this move, Robert Bitterman was named the company’s executive chairman in September, the current top spot at the biotechnology company. Bitterman has served on Phio Pharmaceutical’s board since 2012. At the start of 2023, Bitterman said he began considering remaining permanently in the executive role, a decision he expects to make in the coming months, as the company continues efforts to move its research on skin cancer into full clinical development.
The company has previously discovered ways to use RNAi technology to make immune cells more effective in killing cancer cells. Bitterman is leading the company out of its discovery phase and into its clinical phase.
“If this pans out in studies the way it has demonstrated up until this point in time, it could represent a very interesting way to treat cancer tumors in a safe and efficient way,” said Bitterman.
Bitterman graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester and received his MBA from Boston University. He previously worked in the Philadelphia region leading biotech companies through numerous phases of development, namely as CEO of Cutanea Life Sciences and Dermik Laboratories.
Bitterman retired in 2019 when Cutanea was sold, but assumed the duties of a principal executive officer at Phio Pharmaceuticals in September. Gerrit Dispersyn was previously CEO at the company and stepped down in May. Bitterman declined to provide details about Dispersyn’s departure.
“We have been successful in pure discovery work,” said Bitterman. “Now we feel the real key to success is getting human data.”
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