- Seven internationally recognized nephrology experts join R1’s Scientific Advisory Board
- Strengthens scientific and clinical guidance as AP306 advances into global Phase 2b development for the treatment of hyperphosphatemia in chronic kidney disease
- Board chaired by Glenn M. Chertow, M.D., MPH, Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology and Population Health, and Health Policy at Stanford University School of Medicine
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., June 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — R1 Therapeutics, Inc (“R1”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of first-in-class therapies for patients with kidney disease, today announced the formation of its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), comprising seven internationally renowned experts in the field of nephrology, chaired by Glenn Chertow, M.D. (Stanford University School of Medicine).
These appointments come at a key inflection point for R1 as it prepares to advance AP306, its first-in-class pan phosphate transporter inhibitor, into a Phase 2b clinical trial for the treatment of hyperphosphatemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The addition of seven globally recognized leaders in nephrology underscores strong external validation of R1’s scientific approach to improving care for patients with kidney disease.
Together, these international experts bring deep expertise across kidney research and clinical trials and will offer valuable scientific, translational, and clinical guidance as R1 progresses AP306 through clinical development.
Krishna Polu, M.D., Co-Founder, President and CEO of R1 Therapeutics, said: “Bringing together this caliber of scientific leadership is a major milestone for R1. Their collective experience in advancing novel therapies through clinical development and their specific expertise in the field of CKD-Mineral Bone Disorder and Dialysis will be instrumental as we progress AP306 into global Phase 2b trials and beyond. Our shared ambition to improve outcomes for patients with chronic kidney disease will guide our work as we advance this program.”
Glenn M. Chertow, M.D., MPH, Chair of R1’s Scientific Advisory Board, said: “Hyperphosphatemia remains a persistent and under-addressed challenge in the management of chronic kidney disease, with many patients unable to achieve adequate control with current therapies. AP306 represents a genuinely novel approach by blocking the active transport of phosphate. I look forward to working with R1 and my fellow Board members to help translate this potential into meaningful benefits for patients.”
R1’s Scientific Advisory Board will comprise:
Glenn M. Chertow, M.D., M.P.H., Chair of R1’s Scientific Advisory Board, is the Norman S. Coplon Satellite Healthcare Professor of Medicine and (by courtesy) Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health and Professor of Health Policy at Stanford University School of Medicine, and Vice Chair for Academic Excellence, Department of Medicine.
Geoffrey A. Block, M.D., FASN, is Associate Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Clinical Research and Medical Affairs at U.S. Renal Care, having previously served as Vice President of Nephrology at Reata Pharmaceuticals and as Director of Clinical Research and Partner at Denver Nephrology.
Barbara S. Gillespie, M.D., MMS, FASN, is Chief Medical and Strategy Officer at the International Society of Glomerular Disease. She also serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at the University of North Carolina.
Markus Ketteler, M.D., FERA, is Professor of Medicine and Director of the Department of General Internal and Geriatric Medicine at Robert-Bosch-Hospital, Stuttgart, Germany.
Sharon M. Moe, M.D., is the Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Research, and the Co-Director for the Indiana Clinical Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI), and Director of the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension and Alan B. Gilman Distinguished Professor of Medicine for the Indiana University School of Medicine.
Smeeta Sinha, M.B. Ch.B., Ph.D., is a Consultant Nephrologist at Salford Royal Hospital, Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, and Honorary Professor at the University of Manchester.
Li Zuo, M.D., is Professor of Internal Medicine and Head of the Department of Nephrology at Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing, where he also serves as Chief Physician and a doctoral supervisor.
The full details of each Scientific Advisory Board member can be found below.
For further information:
Optimum Strategic Communications
Mary Clark, Isabelle Abdou, Eleanor Cooper
Tel: +44 20 3922 0900
Email: r1therapeutics@optimumcomms.com
About R1 Therapeutics
R1 Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on the development of first-in-class therapies for patients with kidney disease. Its lead program, AP306, targets hyperphosphatemia in patients with chronic kidney disease on dialysis, a condition associated with serious bone and cardiovascular complications and poorer outcomes when phosphate remains uncontrolled. AP306 is a first-in-class pan phosphate active transport inhibitor designed to block three key phosphate transporters in the gut, with the potential to deliver rapid and effective phosphate lowering with a significantly reduced treatment burden. R1 has licensed exclusive global rights outside of Greater China to AP306 from Alebund Pharmaceuticals and is advancing a global Phase 2b development program. R1 launched in March 2026 with an oversubscribed $77.5 million Series A financing co-led by Abingworth, DaVita Venture Group, and F-Prime, with participation from Curie.Bio, SymBiosis, and U.S. Renal Care. For more information, visit www.r1therapeutics.com and follow R1 on LinkedIn.
About R1’s Scientific Advisory Board
Glenn M. Chertow, M.D., M.P.H., Chair of R1’s Scientific Advisory Board, is the Norman S. Coplon Satellite Healthcare Professor of Medicine and (by courtesy) Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health and Professor of Health Policy at Stanford University School of Medicine, and Vice Chair for Academic Excellence, Department of Medicine. Dr. Chertow has served in leadership roles for multiple NIDDK-, NHLBI-, VA- and industry-sponsored clinical trials. He has served in an advisory capacity to the Medicare Payment Advisory Committee, on NIH study sections, and in multiple leadership roles with the American Society of Nephrology (ASN). Dr. Chertow was honored by the American Kidney Fund with the National Torchbearer Award and the Nephrologist of the Year Award, the Belding H. Scribner Award from ASN and the David M. Hume Memorial Award from National Kidney Foundation. He is an elected member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation, Association of American Physicians, and National Academy of Medicine.
Geoffrey A. Block, M.D., FASN, is Associate Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Clinical Research and Medical Affairs at U.S. Renal Care. Dr. Block previously served as Vice President of Nephrology at Reata Pharmaceuticals and as Director of Clinical Research and Partner at Denver Nephrology. For over two decades, he has served as principal or co-investigator on numerous clinical trials, and his work has been widely published in leading medical and nephrology journals. Since 2000, Dr. Block has been a manuscript reviewer for the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology and the American Journal of Kidney Diseases. In 2026, Dr. Block was awarded the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) Medal of Excellence, one of the organization’s highest honors for kidney healthcare professionals.
Barbara S. Gillespie, M.D., MMS, FASN, is Chief Medical and Strategy Officer at the International Society of Glomerular Disease. Dr. Gillespie also serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at the University of North Carolina. She has held senior leadership roles in industry, most recently at Fortrea (formerly part of Labcorp) and Quintiles (currently named IQVIA). With nearly two decades of experience, Dr. Gillespie has supported Phase I–IV trials across a wide range of CKD and ESKD indications and has held a number of board and advisory roles across leading nephrology organizations and public–private partnerships. She has contributed extensively to initiatives focused on trial design, endpoints and patient access, including leadership in APOL1-mediated kidney disease and health equity programs, and has authored numerous publications.
Markus Ketteler, M.D., FERA, is Professor of Medicine and Director of the Department of General Internal and Geriatric Medicine at Robert-Bosch-Hospital, Stuttgart, Germany. His research focuses on extraosseous calcification, phosphate and vitamin D metabolism, and cardiovascular disease in chronic kidney disease. He has authored over 250 peer-reviewed publications, including in The Lancet, JASN, Journal of Clinical Investigation, and Kidney International, and has served as Principal Investigator in multiple multi-center CKD-MBD trials. Dr. Ketteler was previously council member and chairman of the administrative office of the European Renal Association–European Dialysis and Transplant Association (ERA-EDTA), and in parallel he acted as a KDIGO Work Group co-chair on the CKD-MBD Guideline. Dr. Ketteler is currently theme editor of the Clinical Kidney Journal.
Sharon M. Moe, M.D., is the Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Research, and the Co-Director for the Indiana Clinical Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI). Dr. Moe is also Director of the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension and Alan B. Gilman Distinguished Professor of Medicine for the Indiana University School of Medicine. A translational investigator in disorders of mineral metabolism, Dr. Moe has made seminal contributions to the understanding of vascular calcification and the cardiovascular consequences of mineral imbalance and chaired the international consensus conference that defined the term Chronic Kidney Disease – Mineral and Bone Disorder (CKD-MBD). Dr. Moe has served as President of the American Society of Nephrology, as United States Councilor for the International Society of Nephrology, and as Chair of the KDIGO guideline work on CKD-MBD. She has over 200 peer-reviewed publications in respected journals and has served on the editorial board of six nephrology / kidney disease journals.
Smeeta Sinha, M.B. Ch.B., Ph.D., is a Consultant Nephrologist at Salford Royal Hospital, Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, and Honorary Professor at the University of Manchester. Previously, Dr. Sinha was the Clinical Director for Renal services at Salford Royal between 2014 and 2020 where she oversaw the delivery of kidney care centers across the North of Greater Manchester. She is an internationally recognized key opinion leader in Chronic Kidney Disease – Mineral and Bone Disorder (CKD-MBD), with particular expertise in vascular calcification and calciphylaxis, as well as cardio-renal-metabolic disease and glomerulonephritis. Dr. Sinha has supported the development of clinical trials from Phase 1 through Phase 3 and provides clinical leadership with a focus on innovation and improvement.
Li Zuo, M.D., is Professor of Internal Medicine and Head of the Department of Nephrology at Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing, where he also serves as Chief Physician and a doctoral supervisor. Dr. Zuo serves as President of the Blood Purification Center Management Branch of the Chinese Hospital Association, President of the Blood Purification Equipment Technology Committee of the Chinese Medical Equipment Association, and Vice Chairman of the Blood Purification Committee of Beijing Medical Society. He is also the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese Journal of Blood Purification. As a recognized leader in the field, Dr. Zuo has led the development of multiple national health industry standards and group standards, authored key guidelines and consensus documents, contributed to major research initiatives both domestically and internationally, edited and translated foundational texts, and has been published extensively in leading scientific and national journals.
