Beerman will lead RXi Pharmaceuticals

RXi Pharmaceuticals Corp., the Worcester biopharmaceutical company that seeks to develop drugs based on the Nobel Prize winning work of Craig Mello in gene-silencing research, announced that Noah D. Beerman has joined the company as its new president and chief executiver.

"The appointment of Mr. Beerman (right) as CEO is part of a planned succession in leadership as the company looks to advance from the research stage to product development and execution of therapeutic collaborations and partnerships," RXi said in a press release. "He succeeds RXi's co-founder, Tod Woolf, Ph.D., who will continue as a member of RXi's Scientific Advisory Board."

Beerman joins RXi with more than 25 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry and most recently served as executive vice president and chief business officer for Indevus Pharmaceuticals Inc., which was acquired by Endo Pharmaceuticals in March, RXi said.

Beerman said in a statement, "My experience in building clinical pipelines will help guide the company as it looks to advance products using its breakthrough technology and advanced therapeutic platform."

RXi is focused on developing and commercializing therapeutics based on RNA interference. Describing RNAi, a story in the Globe archives noted that RNAi has the power to turn genes on and off, thus muting their function inside a cell, and that capacity could lead to medicines that mount a highly focused attack on a disease by shutting off a dangerous gene or attacking a virus at a vulnerable point.

The photo of Beerman that appears with this post was included with the company's press release. (Globe Staff)