FibroGen Inc. said Thomas Neff, its chairman and CEO, has died.
Neff founded the San Francisco-based biopharmaceutical company in 1993 and had been at the helm since its inception. The company, which is listed on the Nasdaq and employs more than 460 people, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence data, developed roxadustat and pamrevlumab under Neff's leadership.
Roxadustat treats anemia in chronic kidney disease patients who are dialysis-dependent, as well as other chronic kidney conditions. It is currently only approved in China, with plans to bring it to markets in Europe, Japan and the U.S.
Meanwhile, pamrevlumab is being studied as a treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Neff will be replaced by James Schoeneck as CEO on an interim basis. Schoeneck is the former CEO of Depomed Inc., which is currently called Assertio Therapeutics Inc., and has experience leading companies in the biopharmaceutical industry, FibroGen said.
