Closely-held RNA Disease Diagnostics appointed board-certified internist and professional sports physician, Michael Farber, M.D., to its advisory board.
Dr. Farber is the medical director of executive health at Hackensack University Medical Center and assistant professor of medicine at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.
Dr. Farber also has more than 20 years of experience caring for professional athletes. He is the team physician for the Brooklyn Nets (NBA), New York Red Bulls (MLS), New Jersey Devils (NHL), Binghamton Devils (AHL), Sky Blue FC (NWSL), and serves as a medical consultant for the New York Giants (NFL) and the New York Liberty (WNBA).
In addition, he has served as the venue medical director for various international soccer tournaments. As a medical liaison to the NFL, he coordinated medical care for New Jersey athletes during Superbowl XVLVIII. Dr. Farber has also raised awareness and advised on the management of venous thromboembolism and deep vein thrombosis within the NBA, and was instrumental in developing the current NBA, WNBA, and NBA G League protocol for concussion.
In a statement, Allan Oberman, co-founder and chairman of RNADD, said sporting events are among the many high-traffic settings where rapid point-of-care COVID-19 testing has the potential to drastically reduce new infections.
“In addition to being a skilled physician and medical consultant, Dr. Farber has emerged as a leader in helping to develop COVID-19 corporate strategy for professional sports leagues, teams and venues. Accordingly, his expertise will be of particular value in supporting the commercialization of our first product candidate, the Antisense COVID-19 molecular rapid diagnostic test,” Mr. Oberman said.
Dr. Farber said, “Having worked extensively on ‘return-to-play’ strategies for some of the leading organizations in the sports industry, it is clear that rapid and accurate COVID-19 testing will be essential for the safe reopening of professional sporting events.”
RNADD is working to leverage its proprietary Antisense RNA diagnostics platform across multiple infectious diseases. Its first product based on the platform will be COVID-19 Antisense rapid diagnostic test that features the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity that is comparable to the gold standard RT-PCR lab diagnostic, administered and read in less than 5 minutes.
