aTyr Pharma appoints John McKew as vice president of research

US rare disease company aTyr Pharma has named John McKew as vice president of research.

Dr McKew (pictured) brings more than two decades of expertise in translational research, including key leadership positions at the National Institutes of Health, Wyeth Research and Genetics Institute (prior to its acquisition by Wyeth). The company said that Dr McKew will lead its efforts to expand and translate its novel Physiocrine biology into meaningful therapeutics to treat rare, grave immune-driven disorders.

John Mendlein, chief executive and executive chairman of aTyr Pharma, said: "John's team at NIH worked collaboratively with biotech and academic scientists on more than thirty rare disease programs, forging new paths to bring promising preclinical therapeutic ideas into the clinical research setting. His experience across diverse therapeutic areas fits perfectly with our mission to tap Physiocrine biology as a new source of meaningful medicines with the potential to treat a broad spectrum of rare diseases.