Aro Biotherapeutics Appoints Biotechnology Executive Brett Blackman, Ph.D., to its Board of Directors

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aro Biotherapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing targeted short-interfering RNA (siRNA) medicines for the treatment of diseases with high unmet medical need, today announced the appointment of Brett Blackman, Ph.D., to its Board of Directors. Brett Blackman is Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Business Officer at Valo Health, where he leads corporate operations and strategy, business development, alliance management, portfolio program management, and legal affairs. He brings a rare combination of scientific depth and executive acumen — built over 25 years at the intersection of drug discovery, engineering, and business strategy — that makes him equally fluent in the science of drug discovery and the demands of corporate strategy.

“I’m excited to join the Aro Biotherapeutics board, having been impressed by the caliber and depth of experience of its R&D leadership team. Aro has built a highly differentiated therapeutic modality platform, one that unlocks the ability to precisely modulate tissue-specific disease targets that have historically been difficult to address. The platform has already demonstrated compelling proof-of-concept validation in the clinic, underscoring its potential to translate into meaningful therapies. I look forward to supporting Aro as it advances full deployment of this platform across strategic areas of high commercial interest,” said Dr. Blackman.

"We are excited to welcome Dr. Blackman to Aro's Board of Directors," said Purnanand Sarma, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Aro Biotherapeutics. "His expertise in turning breakthrough science into successful companies will be invaluable as we expand our platform into new disease areas to bring these medicines to patients."

Dr. Blackman’s career began at the bench, where he pioneered a breakthrough cardiovascular surrogate platform technology during his training at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Medical School, and later as a tenured faculty member at the University of Virginia. That foundational research produced more than ten human disease models for some of medicine’s most intractable conditions, ultimately forming the core technology underpinning HemoShear Therapeutics, the company he founded in 2008.

From 2016 until joining Valo, Dr. Blackman served as co-founder, operating Chief Scientific Officer, and strategic executive advisor across a portfolio of Flagship Pioneering biotechnology companies — including Cogen Therapeutics (now Repertoire Immune Medicines), Omega Therapeutics, and Evelo Biosciences. This tenure reflects both his scientific credibility and his capacity to shape organizations from inception through scale.

Dr. Blackman holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics from Drexel University, a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and completed his Postdoctoral Fellowship in Vascular Biology at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He holds multiple patents and has contributed to the field as both an inventor and institution-builder.​

About Aro Biotherapeutics

Aro Biotherapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing targeted short-interfering RNA (siRNA) medicines for the treatment of diseases with high unmet medical need. The company is developing a wholly owned pipeline of therapeutic candidates for a diverse set of diseases, employing a proprietary protein technology called Centyrins, which are small proteins engineered for exceptional efficiency, versatility, and safety. For more information, visit https://www.AroBiotx.com/

Contact:
Mark Laurenzi
mlaurenzi@arobiotx.com
215-544-1183