Aileron Therapeutics Inc. said it is expanding into endocrine and metabolic diseases with a new program that aims to start the clinical development of a drug candidate in early 2013.

The Cambridge-based company added that it has appointed Hubert C. Chen, MD, to the post of vice president of clinical development for endocrine and metabolic disease. Chen joins Aileron from Regulus Therapeutics.

Over the next few months, Aileron said it will be preparing to initiate clinical development of the endocrine-and-metabolic diseases program’s first drug candidate. Dubbed ALRN-5281, this drug candiate is a long-acting growth-hormone-releasing agonist for treating such rare disorders as adult growth hormone deficiency and HIV lipodystrophy, the company said.

Aileron specializes in developing and advancing a class of drugs called stapled peptides. Its initial research looks to develop drugs that target cancer, infectious disease, and immune and inflammatory diseases.