Santa Fe biotechnology startups Avisa Diagnostics has appointed Richard Murray as its new chief medical officer.
Murray brings more than two decades of industry experience to the newly-created position, according to the company. A news release from Avisa says he had practiced cardiovascular-pulmonary medicine. He most recently worked as a vice president at Merck, according to the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative. Merck is a multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Kenilworth, New Jersey.
“I am excited to join the Avisa team at this critical stage in the company’s development. Throughout my career, I have focused on addressing patient needs by listening to the patient and working with internal and external teams to find innovative solutions to optimize care," Murray said in a statement.
The appointment comes about four months after Avisa Diagnostics started trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange. Formerly known as Avisa Pharma, the company offers a biological test that can detect pathogens in the lung within 10 minutes using by measuring the amount of carbon dioxide exhaled by a patient. The carbon dioxide is created by certain bacterial species that cause illness.
The company's product development lab is located in Santa Fe with an additional office in Malvern, Pennsylvania.
"I believe that the Avisa BreathTest has the possibility of bringing better treatment to patients by identifying pathogens early so appropriate antibiotics can be given and by monitoring to ensure that patients get treated quickly to avoid a worsening of their disease," Murray said.
To date, the startup has proven its concept with trials in cystic fibrosis, tuberculosis and community-acquired pneumonia. The company is now planning to pivot trials to bronchiectasis, a condition in which damage to the lung's airways leave them widened, and pneumonia associated with ventilators, according to the company's release.
Avisa Diagnostics disclosed two funding rounds to the Securities and Exchange Commission in December 2020. One was for $200,000 from six investors, and the other was for $495,000 from 30 investors, Business First reported.
