GLENOLDEN, Pa., November 6, 2023 – The Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association announced Nov. 6 that Suzanne (Sue) Bruhn, PhD, an accomplished biotech executive with extensive experience in the development and commercialization of treatments for rare diseases, will take the helm of the patient-led nonprofit as it moves to the next phase of its search for a cure for CMT.
Dr. Bruhn brings to the CMTA more than 25 years of biopharmaceutical experience and a track record in developing and commercializing therapies for the treatment of serious diseases with significant unmet need.
CMT is one of the most commonly inherited neuropathies, affecting the long nerves that go to the feet and hands of approximately one in 2,500 people worldwide. As the nerves die, the muscles around them atrophy. Despite its prevalence, it’s often misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all.
CMTA Board Chair Gilles Bouchard said, “We are delighted to have such an accomplished biotech leader as our new CEO. Sue has spent her career in rare disease drug development, having brought multiple products to market, raised significant capital and has a deep commitment to the patient community. I also want to thank board member Jon Pastor for doing such a fantastic job as interim CEO.”
Dr. Bruhn added, “I am incredibly excited to join the CMTA, the largest philanthropic funder of CMT research in the world, and the provider of the most CMT patient services in the world. I have spent my career on patient-focused drug development and believe deeply in the power that patient communities can bring. I am committed to the vision of the CMTA: A world without CMT.”
The CMTA is a patient-led nonprofit that is aggressively searching out a treatment for CMT by putting together groups of top-flight researchers and experts and directly funding their work. The CMTA also offers a variety of educational materials and conferences, coordinates branches in North America, provides physician referrals and works closely with the clinical and research communities.
Bruhn comes to the CMTA with a long and successful career in drug development, having been the CEO of three biotech companies, all focused on rare diseases. She held multiple leadership roles at Shire Human Genetic Therapies (formerly Transkaryotic Therapies), where she saw multiple rare disease products advance from research through clinical development and launch onto the commercial market. She has significant experience in raising capital, business development and strategy, with a deep network in biopharmaceutical space, coupled with a strong commitment to patients and the patient community.
She holds a Bachelor of Science with distinction in chemistry from Iowa State University of Science and Technology, a PhD in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School.
Bruhn is married with two adult sons. She and her husband live in New Hampshire.
About the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association
The CMTA is a patient-led nonprofit that is aggressively searching out a treatment for CMT by putting together a group of top-flight researchers and experts and directly funding their work. The CMTA has invested $23.5 million in its Strategy to Accelerate Research (STAR) since it was implemented in 2008, making it the world’s largest funder of CMT research.