Healx Appoints Christopher Moertel as Global Head of Clinical Development
Cambridge, UK, 6 May 2025 – Healx, a leader in AI-driven drug discovery for rare diseases, is pleased to announce the appointment of Christopher Moertel, M.D., as its new Global Head of Clinical Development. Dr. Moertel, a highly respected expert in the field, brings a wealth of experience in clinical research and drug development, particularly in neurofibromatosis (NF), a key focus of the company.
Dr. Moertel joins Healx with an extensive background in leading clinical programs that drive innovation and improve patient outcomes. He has served as the Kenneth and Betty Jayne Dahlberg Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine, where he was the Medical Director of the Paediatric Neuro-Oncology and Neurofibromatosis Programs, as well as the Co-Medical Director of the Katie Hageboeck Children’s Cancer Research Fund Clinic.
Dr. Moertel has been instrumental in advancing treatments for NF1-associated plexiform neurofibromas. He was the lead investigator of the ReNeu clinical trial evaluating mirdametinib, a MEK inhibitor developed by SpringWorks Therapeutics, which was later FDA-approved as Gomekli for treating NF1-PN in adults and children.
As Global Head of Clinical Development at Healx, Dr. Moertel will oversee the company’s clinical strategy, ensuring the advancement of its pipeline and the successful execution of clinical trials.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Moertel to our leadership team,” said Tim Guilliams, CEO of Healx. “His deep expertise in neurofibromatosis and rare disease research, coupled with his proven leadership in clinical development, makes him the ideal person to guide our clinical efforts as we advance our innovative therapies.”
Dr. Moertel expressed his enthusiasm about joining Healx: “I am excited to be part of a company that is deeply committed to transforming the landscape of NF and rare disease treatment. I look forward to working with the talented team at Healx to drive forward our clinical programs and bring new therapies to patients.”
Dr. Moertel’s appointment underscores Healx’s dedication to bringing cutting-edge therapies to market and improving patient care. His extensive experience and dedication to improving outcomes in neuro-oncology and NF make him a valuable addition to the leadership team.
About Healx
Healx is a generative AI enabled, clinical-stage, rare disease biotech pioneering the next generation of drug discovery to bring novel, effective treatments to rare disease patients around the world.
There are 10,000 known rare diseases that affect 400 million people across the globe, but only 5% of those conditions have an approved treatment. By combining generative AI technology with deep drug discovery and development expertise, Healx can accelerate the pace, increase the scale and improve the chance of success of rare disease treatment development to deliver global patient impact. Healx exists because every rare disease patient deserves a treatment.
Healx was founded in Cambridge, UK, by Tim Guilliams, Ph.D., a biochemical engineer and tech entrepreneur, and David Brown, Ph.D., co-inventor of Viagra and former global head of drug discovery at Roche. Healx has raised approximately $110 million to date. For more information, visit www.healx.ai or follow us on LinkedIn or X.
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