Advisors

Srinivas Rao, MD, PhD
Drug Development Advisor

Dr. Rao served as Cypress Bioscience’s Chief Scientific Officer from 2001 through 2011. He is the innovator behind Savella™ (milnacipran HCl), initially postulating that the molecule’s pharmacology would be uniquely effective for the treatment of fibromyalgia. He is also the inventor on over 30 patents and patent applications filed while at Cypress in indications that include pain, obesity, Down syndrome, affective disorders, autism, obstructive sleep apnea, and hearing loss. From 2006, he was responsible for the proof-of-concept clinical trial programs at Cypress, running a total of 5 Phase 2 clinical studies in 4 different countries. He was involved in and responsible for a range of FDA interactions including IND filings and Savella's NDA filing. Dr. Rao obtained his MS and BS from Yale University in Electrical Engineering. He continued at Yale to complete his MD and PhD including an internship in Internal Medicine at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Dr. Rao's PhD research focused on the neuropharmacology of working memory. He has published 17 manuscripts with topics ranging from original, basic science and clinical research to invited, topical reviews.

Richard Malerba, BS, MS
Clinical Pharmacy Advisor

Mr. Malerba's education includes a BS in Pharmacy and an MS in Clinical Pharmacy at St. John's University. His professional experience includes Directorship of Clinical Services at the North Shore/Long Island Jewish Health System, consultant to 4 extended care health facilities, and consultant to 8 out-patient medical office centers. He also holds 2 patents; a topical anesthetic formulation and an intravenous medical device.