Humonix Biosciences Appoints Karen Torrejon, PhD, as New CEO

Humonix Biosciences announced the appointment of Karen Torrejon, PhD, as the new Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Torrejon, who originally founded the company in 2014, will now be leading the company as it transitions into a broader, science-driven platform.

Humonix’s platform has been built upon a proprietary 3D human tissue-based system, originally introduced for the study of glaucoma under the Glauconix name. It now encompass multiple disease entities, including retinal vascular disease, pulmonary fibrosis, and renal fibrosis. As a partner to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, Humonix serves to improve the drug development process by expediting the translation of preclinical research into human efficacy using validated human tissue models to predict potential future effect, reducing cost, and improving a program’s probability of success. Humonix’s ex vivo system enriches the understanding of mechanisms underlying therapeutic efficacy while reducing the need for animal testing in line with the FDA’s Modernization Act 2.0, according to a company news release.

“I am excited to once again lead the company that I founded a decade ago as we now expand into broader disease models as Humonix Biosciences,” said Dr. Torrejon. “I am grateful to Ms. Southern for having helped Glauconix gain a foothold in the contract research space, and I’m truly excited to propel this company forward as Humonix to expand our scientific platform systematically. Our ability to test compounds in human tissues ex vivo sets us apart in enabling the early selection of ideal candidates for further development.”