David Darst

David co-leads Inspirna’s financing, business and corporate development, and drug development efforts. As COO, he is responsible for implementing the company’s strategic and operational objectives through its intellectual property generation and prosecution, licensing activities, budgeting, and cross-functional CMC, nonclinical, and clinical efforts. Prior to joining Inspirna, he was a venture capitalist at OrbiMed Advisors, the world’s largest private healthcare dedicated investment firm. There, he invested in leading private and public companies developing therapeutics for life-threatening and debilitating disorders.

David was a co-founder, EVP, and Director of Potentia Pharmaceuticals, which sold its assets to its spin-out company Apellis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: APLS). Apellis’ lead complement inhibitor is in clinical development for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, and other autoimmune disorders.

David has an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.A., cum laude, from Harvard College. He is a Director of the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (ACGT) and sits on the Rockefeller University Advisory Council.