The Power Couple Behind Krystal Biotech

By Ben Comer, Chief Editor, Life Science Leader

Last May, Pittsburgh-based Krystal Biotech achieved a litany of firsts with the FDA approval of Vyjuvek, the first approval of a topical and redosable gene therapy; the first approval of a gene therapy using herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) as a vector; the first approved drug for the treatment of wounds caused by dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB), a rare skin disease; and Krystal Biotech’s first approved product. Surmounting the challenges and complexity inherent to those achievements — navigating uncharted regulatory territory and building an internal quality testing and manufacturing capability from scratch, for example — required deft leadership on numerous fronts.