Dr. Hardean Achneck is a seasoned clinical development executive with extensive experience across multiple therapeutic areas, including hepatology and infectious diseases.

Most recently, Dr. Achneck served as the Senior Vice President and Head of Clinical Development at Pliant Therapeutics (NASDAQ: PLRX) where he oversaw all clinical programs, including those in hepatic diseases. Before joining Pliant, Dr. Achneck was the Vice President of Clinical Development and Clinical Research at Dicerna Therapeutics (Nasdaq: DRNA). Following its acquisition by Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO; Nasdaq: Novo-B) in 2021, he continued his role at the Novo Nordisk Dicerna Transformational Research Unit. He successfully advanced liver-targeted oligonucleotide assets from early to late-stage development, notably xalnesiran for chronic hepatitis B. Prior to his tenure at Dicerna, Dr. Achneck led Medical Affairs and Clinical Development at Haemonetics Corporation (NYSE: HAE). Before this, he served as Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Hemostemix Inc. (TSXV: HEM).

Prior to his industry roles, Dr. Achneck was an Assistant Professor of Surgery and in Pathology at Duke University School of Medicine, with a co-appointment as Assistant Professor of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Disorders at Duke-National University of Singapore. Dr. Achneck holds an M.D. from Yale University School of Medicine and a B.A. in Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, magna cum laude, from Yale University. Licensed to practice medicine in the U.S. and EU, he has authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications and was named an inventor on several patents.