Larimar Therapeutics, Inc. announced the appointment of Russell Rusty Clayton, DO, as Chief Medical Officer (CMO), effective July 17, 2023. Dr. Clayton succeeds former CMO Nancy M. Ruiz, MD, who is retiring and will provide consulting support to the Company as needed. Rusty has been one of the company's closest advisors for the last 5 years, has attended every meeting between Larimar and the FDA, including the most recent meeting, and served as Chair of its Scientific Advisory Board.

His demonstrated leadership in the rare disease space, extensive expertise overseeing clinical trial design and execution of pivotal trials, coupled with his experience building out key opinion networks and supporting marketing authorizations and product launches provides a strong addition to its executive leadership. Dr. Clayton brings nearly 20 years of executive experience to Larimars management team. Most recently, he served as the Principal at Aeremedea, LLC, where he worked with Larimar and several other companies as an advisor, contractor, and interim CMO to support the development and commercialization of therapies targeting rare diseases across several therapeutic areas.

Prior to becoming a consultant, Dr. Clayton was CMO of Alcresta Therapeutics, where he oversaw the design and execution of clinical studies in an orphan population that led to the regulatory approval of the companys first marketed product and developed a medical affairs capability to support the commercial launch and reimbursement of the new product. Earlier in his career, Dr. Clayton was the Senior Vice President of Research and Development at Discovery Laboratories, where he led the scientific, medical, and regulatory efforts leading to the marketing authorization and commercial launch of Discoverys first product targeting an orphan disease, and served in roles of increasing responsibility at Merck and Co., Inc. Dr. Clayton is a board-certified pediatric pulmonologist and practiced at St. Christophers Hospital for Children and the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia prior to beginning his career in the pharmaceutical, biologics, and medical device industry.

Dr. Clayton received his DO from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.