Tomoko Maeda-Chubachi, MD, PhD, MBA

Tomoko Maeda-Chubachi, MD, PhD, MBA is a Scientific Advisory Board Member at LifeRNA and an internationally respected physician-scientist and regulatory strategist in dermatology and immunology. With over two decades of leadership across biotech and large pharmaceutical companies, Dr. Maeda-Chubachi brings deep expertise in clinical trial design, regulatory strategy, and global drug development, particularly in skin and immune-mediated diseases.

Dr. Maeda-Chubachi has played a pivotal role in the approval and commercialization of multiple innovative dermatologic therapies. Most recently, as Chief Medical Officer of Pelthos Therapeutics, she led the NDA and successful U.S. approval of berdazimer 10.3% gel (Zelsuvmi) for molluscum contagiosum. Earlier in her career, she directed late-stage clinical development programs at Novan, GSK, Eli Lilly, and Pfizer, contributing to the global advancement of tapinarof (VTAMA), ixekizumab (Taltz), and tofacitinib (Xeljanz) for autoimmune skin diseases.
With a background as a board-certified dermatologist and PhD-trained researcher, Dr. Maeda-Chubachi’s work bridges science and strategy. Her international regulatory experience spans the U.S., Europe, and Japan, and she has been instrumental in securing approvals across multiple regions. She is also the Founder and President of TMC Clinical Development Consulting, advising companies on development plans for dermatology and immunology programs.

Dr. Maeda-Chubachi earned her MD and PhD in Dermatology from Osaka University and holds an MBA in Global Management from the University of Phoenix. She is a Fellow of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), and recipient of the Eugene Farber Award from the Society for Investigative Dermatology. At LifeRNA, she provides strategic and clinical guidance to support the development of novel therapies for autoimmune and fibrotic skin diseases.