The StiRx Mission
Our mission is to empower sexual health for all people. We aim to accomplish this by developing best-in-class vaccines and biologicals against the most severe sexually transmitted infections. Our vision is to reduce mortality and morbidity caused by STIs with the use of our medicines, including significant reduction in antibiotic microbial resistance of currently available drugs.
Identifying the Problem
​Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) pose a serious threat to individual health and quality of life. They affect people of all ages and backgrounds — including in the U.S. and Europe. While antibiotics remain the primary treatment, rising resistance is rapidly eroding their effectiveness. Despite advances in medicine, STI rates continue to climb, even during periods of limited social contact such as the COVID-19 pandemic. These trends highlight the critical need for improved and sustainable therapeutic strategies. At StiRx, we are addressing this gap by developing next-generation vaccines and biologics designed to prevent the most severe STIs and reduce reliance on antibiotics.
Globally there are:
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• Estimated 129 million new chlamydia cases per year
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• Estimated 82 million new gonorrhea cases per year
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• Estimated 7.1 million new syphilis cases per year
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• Estimated 156 million new trichomoniasis cases per year
Founding Team
The StiRx founders are a team of experienced leaders with scientific and business expertise.
Davinder Gill, PhD
25+ years of commercial experience ex-CEO Merck/Wellcome Hilleman Laboratories, Global VP Pfizer, Executive at Wyeth and Millennium
Sanjay Ram, MBBS
25+ years clinical and academic research Professor, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation, Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology
Peter Rice, MD
40+ years clinical and academic research Professor of Medicine, Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, former NIH/NIAID MERIT awardee, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, former Chief of infectious diseases Boston University
Scientific Advisory Board
Toni Darville, MD
Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics and Microbiology & Immunology Chief, Pediatric Infectious Disease Vice Chair of Pediatric Research Scientific Director, Children’s Research Institute Co-Director, Medical Science Training Program University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Caroline E. Cameron, PhD
Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria
Affiliate Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, University of Washington
Anna Wald, MD, MPH
Head of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Division, Professor of Medicine, Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, & Epidemiology, University of Washington Professor, Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Steven Projan, PhD, FAAM
Former Senior V.P. R&D; iMed Head Infectious Disease and Vaccines, MedImmune Vice President, Global Head Infectious Diseases, Novartis Vice President and Head, Biological Technologies, Wyeth Research
George Siber, MD
Former Harvard professor, current adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University and professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, former executive vice president and chief science officer of Wyeth, and advisory committee member of the World Health Organization, US National Institutes of Health, Gates Foundation, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Kenneth Simmen, PhD
Senior executive with 30 years of global experience in drug discovery/early clinical
development and innovative dealmaking within infectious diseases & vaccines at J&J.
Played key role in invention and development of Hepatitis C virus antiviral product
Simeprevir (OLYSIO)