— Mark DeLong to lead Arrakis as it becomes a clinical-stage company, advancing its lead oral RNA-targeted small molecule to treat myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) —
— Michael Gilman retires from role of CEO following distinguished 40-year career in biotech —
— Katrine Bosley transitions the role of Chairman of the Arrakis Board of Directors to Michael Gilman, and she steps down from the Board —
WALTHAM, Mass., June 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Arrakis Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the discovery of a new class of small molecule medicines that directly target RNA, today announced that Mark DeLong is appointed as the company’s Chief Executive Officer, effective June 29, 2026. The CEO transition follows the retirement of Michael Gilman, PhD. Dr. Gilman will continue to serve on the Arrakis Board of Directors and become Chairman, as Katrine Bosley, who has chaired the Board for seven years, transitions that role to him and steps down from the company’s Board.
“As I transition the CEO role to Mark, I do so with confidence as he has the capabilities, experience, and strategic product development expertise to lead Arrakis into its next stage, guiding our lead DM1 drug candidate through clinical development and advancing a pipeline of RNA-targeted small molecule genetic medicines,” said Michael Gilman. “I also want to thank Katrine Bosley for her outstanding leadership as Chair, and I am personally grateful for her partnership and wise counsel. It has been an honor and privilege to serve as CEO of Arrakis, and I’m thrilled to be able to further contribute as Chairman as we enter this next chapter.”
Mr. DeLong joins Arrakis as the company is positioned to advance its RNA-targeted small molecule (rSM) drug candidate into the clinic for the treatment of myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), a form of muscular dystrophy. Leveraging its comprehensive rSM platform, Arrakis created a disease-modifying small molecule compound that binds to the pathogenic trinucleotide RNA repeat that is the genetic root of DM1. The DM1 drug candidate exemplifies Arrakis’ capabilities to design RNA-targeted genetic medicines while leveraging the proven advantages of small molecule drugs, including systemic biodistribution, oral dosing, and scalable, cost-efficient supply chains.
“I’m energized by the opportunities ahead as Arrakis evolves to a clinical-stage company and advances a new class of small molecule genetic medicines, beginning with the exciting near-term potential of the company’s highly differentiated, oral drug candidate for the treatment of DM1,” said Mr. DeLong. “I look forward to working with the outstanding team at Arrakis that has done pioneering work to make it possible to discover and develop RNA-targeted small molecule medicines that offer new approaches to address disease and impact patients with unprecedented precision.”
Mr. DeLong has over 25 years of diverse scientific, operations, business development and strategy experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. He joins Arrakis from Apellis Pharmaceuticals where he was Chief Business & Strategy Officer and played a key role in the company’s $5.6 billion acquisition by Biogen in May 2026. At Apellis, he was part of the leadership team that successfully guided two drugs through clinical development, FDA approval, and commercialization in geographic atrophy and rare diseases. Prior to joining Apellis, Mr. DeLong held leadership roles in business development, portfolio management and commercial operations at EMD Serono and in R&D at Alkermes. He holds a BSc in chemical engineering from Penn State and an MBA from the University of Michigan.
“I want to express the Board’s gratitude for Michael Gilman’s many years of leadership and commitment to Arrakis,” said Katrine Bosley, outgoing Chairman of the Board of Arrakis. “He led the company to build a cutting-edge platform to discover a new class of medicines – oral small molecule drugs that target RNA. His leadership shaped the development of an unprecedented new drug candidate to treat DM1 and Arrakis’ culture of resiliency and creativity.”
Michael Gilman joined Arrakis as CEO during its seed phase and raised multiple rounds of equity capital and funding from collaborations. His leadership guided the company to build a team and industry-leading platform to discover small molecules that target RNA as a new approach for creating new medicines. He also led the strategy for the company’s initial drug candidates, including the lead RNA-targeted small molecule for the treatment of DM1. As a serial entrepreneur and biotech leader with a 40-year track record of success, Dr. Gilman was the founding CEO of Obsidian Therapeutics, Padlock Therapeutics and Stromedix, and held executive roles at Biogen and ARIAD Pharmaceuticals.
About Arrakis Therapeutics
Arrakis Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the discovery of a new class of oral genetic medicines that directly target RNA. Based on its comprehensive platform, Arrakis rationally designs and optimizes small molecules that selectively target pathogenic RNA to treat disease at its root cause. The company’s lead drug candidate is an RNA-targeted small molecule (rSM) that targets the genetic root of myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) and leverages the advantages of small molecule drugs, including systemic biodistribution, oral dosing, and scalable, cost-efficient supply chains. The company is located in Waltham, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.arrakistx.com and engage with us on LinkedIn.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6778fbbe-3a00-4fc4-a199-87c98c8bbd40