Aerska Strengthens Scientific And Operational Capabilities To Push Forward Brain-Targeted RNAi Platform

Aerska, a biotechnology company developing RNA-based medicines for central nervous system (CNS) diseases through its brain shuttle technology, has announced the appointment of Stuart Milstein as Chief Platform Officer and Lisa Taylor Ash as a member of its Board of Directors. These leadership additions are intended to strengthen the company as it advances its antibody–oligo conjugate (AOC) platform toward clinical development.

The appointments come shortly after Aerska’s successful $39 million Series A financing. With this funding, the company is expanding its focus on RNA interference (RNAi) platform innovation and strengthening its capabilities in drug development, operations, and governance. Aerska is working to build therapies that can effectively reach the brain, an area that has long been difficult to target due to the blood–brain barrier.

According to Aerska’s CEO Jack O’Meara, developing an efficient brain shuttle system for delivering siRNA into the CNS requires strong expertise in RNA science, delivery technologies, and organizational leadership. He emphasized that Stuart Milstein brings extensive experience in oligonucleotide delivery and RNA platform development, while Lisa Taylor Ash has a strong track record of guiding biotechnology companies through different stages of growth, from early development to commercialization. Their combined experience is expected to help Aerska advance its mission of developing meaningful treatments for patients with CNS diseases.

Stuart Milstein brings more than two decades of experience in oligonucleotide therapeutics and RNA platform innovation. At Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, he played a key role in RNAi lead development, where he worked on early efforts to enable siRNA delivery to the central nervous system. He also contributed to the development of siRNA template chemistry that has become a widely used standard in the field. 

Following his time at Alnylam, he served as Vice President of Platform Biology at Korro Bio, where he focused on ADAR-mediated RNA editing technologies. Later, as Chief Platform Officer at Sail Biomedicines (formerly Senda Biosciences), he led the development of advanced nanoparticle systems designed for RNA delivery.

In his role at Aerska, Stuart Milstein will be responsible for leading the company’s platform strategy and overseeing the continued development of its proprietary brain shuttle-enabled RNAi platform. This platform is designed to improve delivery of RNA-based therapies across the blood–brain barrier to target neurological diseases more effectively. 

He has noted that while RNA therapeutics have made significant progress over the past two decades, treating CNS disorders has remained particularly challenging due to delivery limitations. He expressed optimism that Aerska’s approach, which combines RNA interference science with brain shuttle technology, could help achieve durable and targeted gene silencing in the brain, offering new hope for patients with limited treatment options.

Lisa Taylor Ash joins Aerska’s Board of Directors with extensive experience in biotechnology leadership, including roles in legal, operational, and strategic functions across multiple companies. She is currently Chief Operating Officer of Sonoma Bio. Prior to that, she served as Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel at Shape Therapeutics, where she built and led the company’s legal and operational infrastructure. Before Shape Therapeutics, she held the position of Vice President and Head of Healthcare Law and Compliance at Juno Therapeutics, where she supported the development, manufacturing, and clinical advancement of CAR-T cell therapies. She has also held senior legal and compliance positions at Exelixis and Pharmacyclics and began her career at Sidley Austin LLP.

Commenting on her appointment, Lisa Taylor Ash said she is pleased to join Aerska’s Board at an important stage of the company’s growth. She highlighted that Aerska has assembled a strong team focused on addressing some of the most challenging neurological diseases by combining advanced RNA biology with innovative delivery technologies. She added that she looks forward to supporting the company in translating its scientific platform into clinical programs that can potentially make a meaningful difference for patients.

Overall, these leadership appointments, along with the recent Series A financing, reflect Aerska’s continued efforts to strengthen its scientific and operational foundation as it works toward advancing next-generation RNA medicines for CNS diseases.