Absci Corporation announced the appointment of Ransi Somaratne, M.D., FACC, MBA as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Somaratne will spearhead the clinical development strategy and execution for Absci?s expanding pipeline of AI-designed therapeutics. Dr. Somaratne is a physician-scientist and seasoned biopharmaceutical executive who joins Absci from Vertex Pharmaceuticals, where he served as Senior Vice President of Clinical Development.
He previously held various scientific leadership roles at BioMarin Pharmaceutical and Amgen. A cardiologist and internist by training, Dr. Somaratne?s career is defined by work on multiple pioneering clinical development programs, including the Hemophilia A gene therapy Roctavian, the development and global approvals of a PCSK9 inhibitor Repatha, and the development and approval of Journavx, the first NaV1.8 inhibitor approved for moderate to severe acute pain. He earned his Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from Albany Medical College in Albany, NY, and also holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
He has co-authored over 30 papers in peer-reviewed medical journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association. Absci Corporation also announced the retirement of Professor Andreas Busch, Ph.D. as Chief Innovation Officer, effective March 31, 2026. As Chief Innovation Officer, Professor Busch was a driving force in building Absci?s AI-designed therapeutics pipeline, most notably in the discovery and development of ABS-201.
Professor Busch will transition from his executive duties on March 31, 2026 to co-chair Absci?s Scientific Advisory Board, where he will continue to provide scientific and strategic advice and oversight to the company.
