Shorla Pharma Expands into the U.S.
20th July 2021
In early May, Shorla Pharma announced that it had submitted, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had accepted for filing, its application for its SH-111 oncology drug designed to treat T-cell leukemia.
The company has now announced its arrival in the United States locating a base in Boston’s innovative Cambridge biotech cluster.
Founded in Ireland by Orlaith Ryan and Sharon Cunningham, Shorla specialises in developing innovative oncology drugs, with a focus on orphan and pediatric cancers, and is rapidly building its U.S. team, headquartered in Cambridge, MA.
“It’s an honour to bring Shorla’s life-changing treatments to patients in the U.S.,” said Sharon Cunningham, CEO and Co-founder of Shorla Pharma.
“This is an important step in our commercialisation planning. As a company breaking new ground in the treatment of cancers, with our first product targeted for launch later in the year, we believe now is the right time to establish our U.S. operations.”
Sharon is relocating from Ireland as Shorla prepares to launch its first U.S. product, the aforementioned SH-111, a treatment for children with T-cell Leukemia. The company’s development pipeline also includes a drug for treating breast and ovarian cancers, and an oral solution developed to treat patients with glioblastoma who have difficulty swallowing.
“The United States is one of our priority markets and this move underscores Shorla’s commitment to the market, establishing its commercial presence in an area with an abundance of talent,” said Shorla board member Tracy Woody.
Sharon will be joining recently appointed Chief Commercial Officer Nicholas Holsman at the Cambridge, MA office. Nicholas is a U.S. industry veteran with lengthy experience in nurturing the growth of young biotech companies.
Established in 2018 , Shorla Pharma has won a number of awards since inception to include the Sodexo WMB Newcomer Award two years ago.
