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May 4, 2021

Branford’s Azitra announces CEO change

PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED Francisco Salva
By Natalie Missakian

Branford microbiome biotech Azitra Inc. is getting a new top executive as it transitions to a clinical-stage company this year.

The microbial dermatology company said Tuesday it has tapped Francisco Salva to be its new president and CEO. He replaces retiring CEO Rick Andrews, who has led Azitra since 2017.

Salva was most recently president and CEO of Complexa, a Pennsylvania biotech that is developing drugs for fibrotic and inflammatory diseases. 

“Azitra is in a great place, and Francisco is just the leadership for the next phase,” Andrews told New Haven Biz in an email Tuesday morning. 

“I will be around helping them out —  and cheering on the great team now in place,” he added. 

Founded in 2014 by two Yale graduate students, Azitra harnesses the good bacteria living on the skin to develop drugs and consumer products to treat skin problems.

The leadership change comes as the company moves closer to human testing on its first two drugs, an ointment for cancer therapy-associated rashes and another to treat Netherton Syndrome, an inherited skin disorder.

After moving from the UConn Technology Incubation Program in Farmington to a larger lab in Branford, the company closed last October on a $17 million Series B funding round led by the investment arm of Bayer. 

Azitra is collaborating with the pharma and consumer health giant on developing natural cosmetic products for sensitive skin. 

In a statement, Salva said he was “thrilled to have the opportunity to lead Azitra into the next stage of development.”

“The company has a strong foundation in place, backed by intriguing science, talented people, and a clinically ready pipeline,” Salva said.

Azitra said Salva brings “a proven dedication to building companies,” as a seasoned biopharma executive who also spent a decade in life science venture capital and investment banking. 

Prior to leading Complexa, he was a founder and vice president of operations at Acerta Pharma, which AstraZeneca acquired for $4 billion.

Before that, he was senior director of corporate development at Pharmacyclics, where, according to Azitra, he participated in a strategic turnaround that contributed to the company’s $21 billion acquisition by AbbVie.

Co-founder Travis Whitfill said in a statement that Andrews “has done an amazing job transforming Azitra from a research-oriented firm into a clinical-stage company.” 

“We wish Rick the best in his retirement,” he said. 

He said Salva’s appointment “represents a progression and enhancement of the Azitra mission.”

“We are excited to bring in Francisco’s remarkable experience and leadership,” he said. 

Contact Natalie Missakian at news@newhavenbiz.com

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