SCYNEXIS Inc. (NASDAQ: SCYX) said it has appointed Steven K. Burke, M.D., to its board of directors, effective Sept. 18.
Burke currently serves as senior vice president, chief research and development officer, and chief medical officer at Akebia Therapeutics Inc., a role he has held since 2021. He joined Akebia in 2019 and has overseen the company’s research and development functions, including clinical operations, regulatory affairs, and medical affairs. He played a leadership role in the development of Vafseo (vadadustat) for anemia due to chronic kidney disease and supported the drug Auryxia (ferric citrate).
Prior to Akebia, Burke was senior vice president and chief medical officer at Proteon Therapeutics Inc. from 2006 to 2019. He founded Abfero Pharmaceuticals Inc. and served on its board until the company was acquired by Pharmacosmos A/S. He has also held senior positions at Genzyme Inc. Burke received an A.B. from Harvard College and an M.D. from Cornell University Medical School, completed a residency and fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and is board certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology.
SCYNEXIS, a clinical-stage biotechnology company based in Jersey City, N.J., that is focused on developing treatments for severe rare diseases, acquired its lead candidate SCY-770 earlier this year. The company plans to enter Phase 2 trials with SCY-770, which targets autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted SCY-770 orphan drug designation for that indication.
