CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Brixton Biosciences has appointed John Maraganore, Ph.D., Brent Saunders and Elton Brand to its Board of Directors as the company advances Reneurx™ Nerve-Selective Therapy toward potential U.S. Food and Drug Administration marketing authorization and commercialization.
Brixton said it has submitted a De Novo request to the FDA seeking authorization for Reneurx for patients with pain associated with knee osteoarthritis. A decision is anticipated before the end of 2026.
Reneurx is an investigational nerve-selective biomaterial injected around a target treatment area to interrupt pain signals. Brixton said the therapy could potentially provide six months or more of pain relief from a single treatment while reducing reliance on opioids and avoiding potential cartilage toxicity associated with corticosteroids.
The FDA submission was based on a head-to-head pivotal trial comparing Reneurx with a steroid injection. Brixton plans to present data from the study at a medical meeting later this year.
“We believe that Reneurx therapy has the potential to truly address ongoing challenges in musculoskeletal pain management. Current systemic and non-surgical approaches to pain relief for those with knee osteoarthritis are limited, inconsistent or damaging, and often result in patients living with chronic pain for decades. With Reneurx therapy, patients could potentially benefit from 6 or more months of sustained pain relief and improved quality of life from a single treatment,” said Sameer Sabir, Chief Executive Officer of Brixton Biosciences.
Sabir said the appointments are part of Brixton’s effort to build the leadership and infrastructure needed to support a potential commercial launch.
“As we look towards sharing data from our pivotal trial and anticipate our first FDA marketing authorization of Reneurx therapy for those with pain related to knee osteoarthritis, we’re focused on building the team and infrastructure needed to bring this transformative treatment option to patients. John, Brent, and Elton each bring a distinct and highly relevant perspective to Brixton at a pivotal moment for the Company,” Sabir said.
Maraganore was the founding CEO of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, where he helped lead the company from early RNA interference research through the approval and commercialization of its first five RNAi medicines. He previously held senior roles at Millennium Pharmaceuticals and Biogen and currently serves as Co-CEO of Corsera Health.
“Chronic pain remains one of the largest and most underserved areas in medicine, and Brixton’s localized, non-opioid approach aims to offer a differentiated, physical disruption of pain signaling versus standard systemic drug approaches,” Maraganore said.
Saunders is CEO of Bausch + Lomb and previously held leadership roles including President and CEO of Forest Laboratories, CEO of Actavis and Chairman, President and CEO of Allergan. Brixton said Saunders has helped lead mergers and acquisitions totaling more than $300 billion across healthcare-related sectors.
“Given the massively underserved chronic pain market, there’s enormous opportunity for Reneurx therapy as a drug-free alternative for pain relief,” Saunders said. He added that the company is evaluating the potential use of its nerve-selective platform in other indications, including hip and thumb pain and migraine.
Brand is a former NBA player and former General Manager of the Philadelphia 76ers. He played 17 seasons in the NBA after being selected first overall in the 1999 NBA Draft.
“Having played 17 seasons in the NBA, I have seen firsthand how debilitating joint injuries and chronic joint pain can be in maintaining an active lifestyle,” Brand said. “I’m honored to join the Board and support the Brixton team in their mission to give people their mobility and quality of life back.”
