DIMERx Appoints Biotech Leader Sergio Traversa, PharmD, to Board of Directors
Appointment highlights DIMERx’s next phase of growth as it advances non-addictive pain therapeutics with support from the NIH HEAL Initiative
SAN FRANCISCO, July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DIMERx, Inc., a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company developing covalently bonded dimer therapeutics, today announced the appointment of Sergio Traversa, PharmD, as an Independent Director to its Board of Directors, effective June 25, 2025.
Dr. Traversa currently serves as CEO of Relmada Therapeutics (Nasdaq: RLMD), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing transformative therapies for oncology-related and central nervous system conditions, where he has led the company through the advancement of multiple clinical-stage programs and financing events.
“We’re excited to welcome Sergio to the DIMERx team,” said Nikhilesh Singh, MPharm, PhD, Chief Executive Officer. “His deep operational expertise, strategic insight, and capital markets experience come at a critical time in our evolution. With support from the NIH HEAL Initiative and strong momentum in our clinical programs, DIMERx is entering a new phase of growth. Sergio’s track record guiding biopharma companies through development and fundraising will be instrumental as we advance our mission to deliver safe, effective, and non-addictive therapies for chronic pain and rare diseases—and scale DIMERx’s presence in the market.”
“I’m honored to join the DIMERx Board at such a pivotal time in the company’s evolution,” said Dr. Traversa. “Chronic pain remains one of the most urgent and underserved challenges in healthcare, and the opioid crisis has made it clear that the status quo is no longer acceptable. DIMERx’s approach—targeting peripheral opioid receptors while avoiding central nervous system exposure—is not only scientifically bold, it’s the kind of innovation the field desperately needs. It aligns with public health priorities and has the potential to transform patient care. I look forward to working with the team to advance this mission and deliver truly meaningful impact for patients.”
Dr. Traversa brings over 25 years of experience in the healthcare sector across the United States and Europe, spanning pharmaceutical leadership, strategic advisory, and investment. He has held senior roles at leading pharmaceutical companies including Eli Lilly and Johnson & Johnson and served in investment and advisory positions at firms such as Mehta and Isaly, Merlin BioMed, and Rx Capital.
Dr. Traversa was also the co-founder and CEO of Medeor Inc., a pharmaceutical company spun out of Cornell University. He currently serves as a strategic advisor and independent board member for several emerging biopharmaceutical companies, leveraging his broad expertise to guide innovation, development, and financing strategies.
About DIMERx, Inc.
DIMERx is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering a proprietary dimer technology platform to develop novel chemical entities for high-impact, underserved medical conditions. Co-founded by Gregory Beyer, Harvinder Dhani, and Nikhilesh Singh, PhD, the company also collaborates closely on clinical strategy with Maurizio Fava, MD, Chair, Mass General Brigham Academic Medical Centers Psychiatry Department.
The company’s lead asset, DMX-101, is a covalently modified, chemically stable, halogen-free buprenorphine dimer (CAS No: 1820753-68-1) that acts peripherally at the source to provide non-addictive pain relief. DMX-101 is in phase 2 clinical development for chronic lower back pain. Across Phase 1 and Phase 2a studies involving over 400 human subjects and patients, it has demonstrated a favorable safety profile—including pancreatic safety—and clear analgesic benefits.
DIMERx’s second program, DMX-201, is a covalently linked dimer of arginine and agmatine—a next-generation nitric oxide (NO) donor being developed for conditions involving endothelial dysfunction, such as vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) pain in sickle cell disease, where treatment options remain dominated by centrally acting opioids. Learn more at www.dimerx.com.
About the NIH HEAL Initiative
The Helping to End Addiction Long-term® Initiative, or NIH HEAL Initiative®, is an NIH-wide effort to speed scientific solutions to stem the national opioid overdose public health emergency and crisis of chronic pain. Almost every NIH Institute and Center is accelerating research to address this public health emergency from all angles. Learn more at https://heal.nih.gov.
Contacts
Gregory Beyer, Co-Founder, CFO/COO
investors@dimerx.com
or
Laurence Watts, New Street Investor Relations
laurence@newstreetir.com
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
