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