AltaThera Taps Top Doc to Lead Pediatric Heart Drug Push

CHICAGO, IL – March 24, 2026

AltaThera Pharmaceuticals has appointed Dr. Jim Perry, a world-renowned pediatric cardiologist, as its new Pediatric Chief Medical Officer. The move signals a major strategic push to expand the use of its intravenous antiarrhythmic drug, Sotalol IV, for children with life-threatening heart rhythm disorders. Dr. Perry is now tasked with championing a treatment that offers significant promise while carrying critical safety warnings, a high-stakes balancing act in the delicate field of pediatric cardiology.

A Strategic Beat in a High-Stakes Market

The appointment is more than a personnel announcement; it represents a calculated maneuver by AltaThera to solidify its position in the specialized pediatric cardiology market. The broader market for antiarrhythmic drugs, valued at $1.9 billion in 2024, is projected to grow significantly. While oral medications form the bulk of this market, hospital-based treatments remain critical for acute and complex cases, creating a vital space for intravenous therapies like Sotalol IV.

By bringing Dr. Perry into the fold, the company gains an unparalleled level of clinical credibility. His role will focus on advancing the education, accessibility, and clinical integration of Sotalol IV, which received expanded FDA approval for pediatric use in late 2025. This involves navigating a complex ecosystem of pediatric electrophysiology specialists and congenital heart disease programs, where trust and deep expertise are paramount.

"Dr. Perry is a highly respected leader in pediatric electrophysiology,” said John W. Ellis II, CEO of AltaThera, in a statement. “His clinical expertise and longstanding commitment to improving care for children with complex arrhythmias will be invaluable as we expand the impact of Sotalol IV in pediatric cardiology.”

A Career Dedicated to Children's Hearts

Dr. Jim Perry’s resume underscores his status as a luminary in the field. With over three decades of experience, his career is marked by foundational contributions to pediatric electrophysiology. He founded the pediatric electrophysiology program at Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego, where he also served as Medical Director of Electrophysiology. His leadership journey includes a tenure as Chief of Pediatric Cardiology at Yale University and, most recently, Director of Electrophysiology at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.

A Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego, Dr. Perry is also a founding member and past president of the Pediatric and Congenital Electrophysiology Society (PACES), the leading professional organization in his specialty. His clinical experience is vast, having performed over 1,500 complex catheter ablations in children, and his research portfolio includes over 100 peer-reviewed publications.

“I’ve dedicated my career to improving care for children with heart rhythm disorders,” Dr. Perry stated. “AltaThera’s work with intravenous sotalol offers an exciting opportunity to advance treatment options and help clinicians care for pediatric patients more efficiently and effectively.”

Sotalol IV: The Promise and the Peril

At the heart of this new chapter is Sotalol IV, a drug that embodies both breakthrough potential and significant risk. As an intravenous formulation, it addresses a key clinical need. Before its availability, amiodarone was the primary intravenous Class III antiarrhythmic for pediatric patients, but it requires continuous infusion and carries a complex profile of drug-drug interactions. Sotalol IV's intermittent infusion schedule offers a more desirable administration profile, particularly for critically ill children on multiple medications. This could potentially shorten hospital stays compared to the standard three-day inpatient period required for oral sotalol initiation.

However, the drug's power is matched by its potential danger. Sotalol IV carries an FDA boxed warning—the agency's most serious alert—for causing life-threatening proarrhythmia. Specifically, it can induce a dangerous ventricular tachycardia known as Torsade de Pointes, a risk directly linked to its effect of prolonging the heart's QT interval.

This risk necessitates stringent safety protocols. The initiation or dose escalation of Sotalol IV must occur in a hospital setting with continuous electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring and full cardiac resuscitation capabilities. The drug is contraindicated for patients with pre-existing conditions like long QT syndrome, certain types of heart block, or significant bradycardia. Clinicians must meticulously monitor the patient’s QT interval and renal function, as the drug is cleared by the kidneys, and reduce the dose or discontinue the drug if the QT interval becomes dangerously prolonged.

Navigating the Clinical Gauntlet

Dr. Perry’s new role places him at the center of this clinical gauntlet. His primary task will be to guide fellow clinicians in leveraging Sotalol IV’s benefits while rigorously mitigating its risks. His deep expertise is critical not only for promoting the drug but for ensuring its safe and appropriate application in a vulnerable patient population where dosing is complex and side effects can be severe.

The therapeutic landscape for pediatric arrhythmias is not limited to pharmaceuticals. Non-pharmacological treatments like catheter ablation—a procedure in which Dr. Perry is a leading expert—offer a curative option for many rhythm disorders. This dual expertise uniquely positions him to educate specialists on the complete spectrum of care, helping them decide when a drug like Sotalol IV is the most appropriate choice versus an interventional procedure or another medication like a beta-blocker.

His leadership will be instrumental in developing best-practice guidelines and educational programs for pediatric centers nationwide. This effort is crucial for standardizing care and ensuring that every child treated with Sotalol IV receives the intensive monitoring required to prevent adverse outcomes. The ultimate goal is to translate the drug's innovative potential into tangible, safe improvements for children battling complex and often frightening cardiac conditions. This appointment is a clear signal that AltaThera is investing not just in a product, but in the expert-led ecosystem required to make it a success for patients.