PH Advocate Carl Hicks Joins SteadyMed as VP for Patient Advocacy, Community Relations

SteadyMed Therapeutics has named pulmonary hypertension (PH) advocate Carl Hicks Jr. to its newly created position of vice president for PH patient advocacy and community relations.

Hicks has been fighting PH for over 20 years. He is recognized as a leader in the PH community through the U.S. and worldwide, advocating for patients and caregivers.

He will join SteadyMed having served as a board member of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) since 2000. In his role there, he served in several positions, including executive vice president and chairman of the board.

“I am thrilled to join SteadyMed, a company that prides itself with a strong patient focus,” Hicks said in a press release. “The loss of my daughter to PH drives me to be a fierce advocate for this devastating disease.”

Hicks’ addition aligns with the launch of a new SteadyMed campaign, called BePHenomenal. In November, the company launched a new website, dedicated to empowering the PH community, with expert opinion pieces and lifestyle information customized for this audience.

“We are delighted that Carl joins us in this very important role,” said Jonathan Rigby, president and chief executive officer of SteadyMed.

SteadyMed is a specialty pharmaceutical developing focused on orphan diseases. The company’s lead product candidate is Trevyent, a combination of the company’s PatchPump and treprostinil, to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

Trevyent was designed an Orphan Drug by the  U.S. Food and Drug Administration in January, and SteadyMed is planning to submit a new drug application (NDA) to the FDA by mid-2017, requesting its approval.

“His [Hicks’] devotion to patients and the broader PH community, as well as his rich, relevant experience will be invaluable … for Trevyent, our lead drug product candidate …  SteadyMed is committed to building a strong relationship with this underserved patient population and meeting their needs in a meaningful and impactful manner,” Rigby said.

“In this role, I am committed to helping SteadyMed engage with, and address the needs of these patients who may one day benefit from Trevyent, if approved, by the Food and Drug Administration,” Hicks added.