Mast Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, has announced that Edwin L. Parsley, D.O., has joined the company as its chief medical officer and senior vice president.

Parsley has been actively engaged with the company since it acquired Aires Pharmaceuticals in February. He was Mast's interim chief medical officer since September and chief medical officer of Aires since April 2011. Parsley previously was with Pfizer, where he oversaw clinical trials for Revatio (sildenafil). He is a practicing physician and certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in internal medicine, pulmonary disease, critical care medicine and sleep medicine.

Parsley said, "With its ongoing phase III study of MST-188, Mast is a leader in a rare disease for which there is significant unmet need and I look forward to helping the company achieve its goal of bringing to market the first FDA-approved drug for sickle cell disease in over 16 years, as well as advancing the company's development programs in heart failure and arterial disease."