Design Therapeutics Appoints Dr. Chris Storgard as CMO to Drive Clinical Growth

Design Therapeutics has named Dr. Chris M. Storgard as its new Chief Medical Officer, bringing on board a proven clinical leader as the company advances its GeneTAC® small molecule platform. With more than 20 years of drug development experience and a strong background in clinical and regulatory strategy, Dr. Storgard is stepping in at a critical time as Design moves closer to key milestones in its mission to treat serious degenerative genetic disorders. CEO Dr. Pratik Shah highlighted Storgard’s commitment to innovation and patient outcomes, calling his arrival a pivotal addition to the company’s leadership.

Dr. Storgard joins from ADARx Pharmaceuticals, where he helped steer the company into clinical development and oversaw multiple advancing programs. His career spans CMO roles at Heron and Fate Therapeutics and senior clinical leadership at Biogen, Amgen, and AstraZeneca’s Ardea Biosciences. He brings both hands-on medical insight and global regulatory experience. Now at Design, he’s focused on pushing the lead candidate DT-216P2 for Friedreich ataxia forward, and sees the broader pipeline of GeneTAC® molecules as a game-changer for patients with rare, inherited diseases.