EIT Pharma Hires Ex-FDA Hepatology Chief Toerner as CMO
Kirkland, Wash. – October 28, 2026 -- EIT Pharma has appointed Dr. Joseph Toerner, a 26-year veteran of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as Chief Medical Officer, effective immediately, while its lead hepatitis D candidate lonafarnib is under regulatory review.
Former FDA hepatology director takes clinical lead on two programs
Toerner will provide medical and clinical leadership across EIT Pharma's development programs. That includes supporting the ongoing regulatory review of lonafarnib, a late-stage, first-in-class oral therapy for chronic hepatitis D (CHD), and peginterferon lambda, a Phase 2 treatment for severe acute viral respiratory infections.
EIT Pharma describes lonafarnib as the only oral therapeutic candidate in late-stage clinical development for CHD. The drug has not been approved by the FDA or any other regulatory authority, and its safety and efficacy have not been established.