Oruka Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: ORKA) has appointed Todd Edwards as chief commercial officer, effective immediately, the Menlo Park, California-based clinical-stage biotechnology company said on Monday.
Edwards brings more than 25 years of experience in immunology and dermatology, including leadership roles at Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Incyte Corporation and UCB S.A. At Arcutis, he served as executive vice president and chief commercial officer, where he led the ZORYVE franchise and oversaw launches in atopic and seborrheic dermatitis. Prior to Arcutis, he was group vice president and business head of immunology at Incyte, where he established a dermatology business unit and launched two therapies in the specialty. Earlier in his career, he held senior commercial roles at UCB, AbbVie and TAP Pharmaceuticals.
Oruka is developing biologics for chronic skin diseases, including plaque psoriasis and hidradenitis suppurativa. The company’s pipeline includes two clinical-stage candidates: ORKA-001 and ORKA-002.
Edwards holds a Bachelor of Science from East Tennessee State University and an MBA from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He is also a veteran of the U.S. Army.
Lawrence Klein, Oruka’s chief executive officer, said in a statement that Edwards’ track record in building and launching immunology and dermatology franchises positions him to support the commercialization of ORKA-001 and ORKA-002 as they advance toward later-stage development.
