Christopher O’Brien, MD, PhD, FCCP
Chief Medical Officer

Chris joined Kinaset in June 2022 bringing over 20 years of early and late phase clinical development experience leading inhalation, oral and biologic respiratory and anti-inflammatory therapy programs targeted toward asthma and COPD as well as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and dermatologic conditions. He has led over 25 P2-4 clinical trials and a number of successful NDA, sNDA, and BLA programs with over 30 peer-reviewed publications focusing on respiratory and other immunologic diseases.

Prior to joining Kinaset, Chris served over 7 years at Janssen Pharmaceuticals in leadership roles including Head of Pulmonary Clinical Development, overseeing inhalation, oral, and mAb programs in asthma and COPD, Head of GI/IBD Clinical Development, overseeing the successful Stelara (ustekinumab) adult UC BLA and ongoing Stelara and Simponi (golimumab) pediatric IBD programs as well as leading biologic combination IBD, anti-NKG2D, and anti-IL1 alpha programs in IBD and dermatologic indications. Prior to joining Janssen, Chris served as VP of Respiratory Clinical Development at Teva Pharmaceuticals where he led the successful Proair Respiclick (albuterol DPI) NDA submission as well as the anti-IL5 (Cinqair) P3 program as part of his remit overseeing branded, 505 (b)(2) and A/B generic inhalation programs targeted toward asthma and COPD.

During a 12 year tenure at AstraZeneca, he held a number of US and Global leadership roles in clinical development, expanding the Respiratory and Inflammation Clinical Development Organization as well as serving as a core team lead in the successful Symbicort pMDI asthma NDA. He also led the Symbicort dose counter and pediatric sNDA programs and served as US Symbicort Brand Physician leading asthma launch and commercialization activities. During his time at AZ, he also served as the Medical Science Director overseeing oral CRTH2 and antiprotease P2 programs targeted to asthma and COPD, the P3 fostamatinib program in Rheumatoid Arthritis and early planning of the benralizumab P3 asthma program.

Chris received his B.A. in Biology at University of Pennsylvania, M.D. from University of Connecticut, and completed his residency in Internal Medicine and Fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where he maintained an academic clinical practice focusing on asthma and COPD for over 10 years. He also earned a doctorate in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Pennsylvania, focusing on cell adhesion molecule signaling. He is a Fellow of the College of Chest Physicians, and Board Certified in Pulmonary Disease.