On March 17, 2021, Laurent Fischer, Chief Executive Officer of Adverum, sent the following email to the Adverum employees:
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DATE: | | March 17, 2021 |
TO: | | All Adverum Employees |
FROM: | | Dr. Laurent Fischer, CEO |
SUBJECT LINE: | | Corporate Business Update |
Dear Adverians,
This afternoon, we issued a press release announcing that our Board is expected to nominate three of our independent directors for reelection at our upcoming Annual Meeting of Stockholders - Dawn Svoronos, Dr. Reed Tuckson, and Tom Woiwode. Following the 2021 Annual Meeting, we will have a continuing Board of nine world-class and diverse directors who bring extensive biotechnology expertise across R&D, clinical development and regulatory affairs, commercialization, as well as deep leadership, operational and financial acumen.
We also shared that one of our investors, Sonic Fund, has stated its intent to nominate its own director candidates to stand for election to our Board in an attempt to control the Board. It is increasingly common for stockholders to engage publicly with leadership teams and boards, and you may remember that we previously collaborated with Sonic in 2019 on the appointment of two new directors. Our Board has continued to maintain an active dialogue with Sonic, including reiterating our openness to evaluating suggestions from all stockholders to drive long-term value creation.
Our Board and leadership team are committed to serving the best interests of our company, our patients, and our stakeholders. We are making significant and fast progress towards disrupting the anti-VEGF market and are focused on delivering ADVM-022 to patients as quickly as possible. Thank you for your dedication to our company and our global mission—to establish ADVM-022 as a one-time treatment option that preserves patient sight for life.
Regards,
/s/ Laurent Fischer, M.D.
Laurent Fischer, M.D.
Chief Executive Officer