Directors Continuing in Office Until the Company’s 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders
Laurent Fischer, M.D., 59, has served as a member of the Board since June 2019. Dr. Fischer has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Adverum Biotechnologies, Inc., a clinical stage gene therapy company, since June 2020. Prior to Adverum, he served as Senior Vice President, Head of the Liver Therapeutic Area at Allergan plc, a pharmaceutical company, from November 2016 to June 2020. Previously, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Tobira Therapeutics, Inc., a public biotechnology company, until its acquisition by Allergan in November 2016. From 2012 to 2014, Dr. Fischer served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Jennerex Biotherapeutics, Inc. Prior to Jennerex, Dr. Fischer was President and Chief Executive Officer of Ocera Therapeutics, Inc., a privately-held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapeutics for gastrointestinal and liver diseases, since 2005. Prior to Ocera, Dr. Fischer was President and Chief Executive Officer of life sciences company Auxeris Therapeutics, Inc. from 2003 to 2005, President and Chief Operating Officer of technology company RXCentric.com, Inc. (now part of Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc.) from 1999 to 2000 and Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Corporate Development of medication management company MedVantx Inc. from 2001 to 2003. Dr. Fischer served as Senior Vice President of the Global Virology Franchise at Dupont Pharmaceuticals/Dupont-Merck from 1997 to 1999. From 1995 to 1997, Dr. Fischer served as Medical Director for the Virology Group at healthcare company Hoffman-LaRoche, Ltd. Dr. Fischer currently serves on the boards of directors of public biopharmaceutical companies Adverum and CTI BioPharma Corp., where he serves as Chairman, and privately held biopharmaceutical company Lycia Therapeutics, Inc. Dr. Fischer received his Medical Degree from the University of Geneva and his Doctorate in Medicine from the Geneva Medical School, Switzerland.
The Board and Nominating Committee believe that Dr. Fischer’s considerable experience as an executive in the pharmaceutical industry, along with his medical degrees and knowledge of biopharmaceuticals, qualifies him to serve on the Board.
Patrick Heron, 52, has served as a member of the Board since November 2018. Mr. Heron is a General Partner with Frazier Healthcare Partners (“Frazier”), a private equity and venture capital firm, a position he has held since September 1999. Mr. Heron has been active in company formations and initial investments in various biotechnology companies, including Marcadia Biotech Inc., Calixa Therapeutics, Inc. and VentiRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. He also led Frazier’s involvement in MedPointe Inc. Prior to joining Frazier, Mr. Heron helped develop McKinsey & Co.’s west coast biotechnology consulting practice. Mr. Heron currently serves on the board of directors of Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc., a public biopharmaceutical company, as well as private companies HilleVax, Inc., ScoutBio, Inc., SanReno Therapeutics, Inc., Alpha-9 Theranostics, Inc. and Alceptor Therapeutics, Inc. Mr. Heron previously served on the boards of directors of public biopharmaceutical companies Passage Bio, Inc., Vaxcyte, Inc. and Iterum Therapeutics plc, Mr. Heron received his= B.A. in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
The Board and Nominating Committee believe that Mr. Heron’s extensive business background and his experience in venture capital and the life science industry qualifies him to serve on the Board.
Niall O’Donnell, Ph.D., 50, has served as a member of the Board since November 2018. Dr. O’Donnell is currently a Managing Director at RiverVest Venture Partners, a venture capital firm, a position he has held since April 2014. He joined RiverVest Venture Partners in 2006 where he has focused on biopharmaceutical, diagnostic and medical device opportunities and contributes to the formation, development and business strategies of RiverVest Venture Partners portfolio companies. Dr. O’Donnell served as President and Chief and Executive Officer of Reneo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately-held pharmaceutical company, which he co-founded, from December 2017 to November 2020. From 2011 to 2013, he served as acting chief interim medical officer at Lumena Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where he led the development and execution of the company’s clinical strategy leading up to its acquisition by Shire plc. Dr. O’Donnell currently serves on the boards of directors of public biotechnology companies Spruce Biosciences, Inc. and Reneo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., as well as privately-held pharmaceutical companies Avalyn Pharma, Inc., Glycomine, Inc. and Sparrow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dr. O’Donnell received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Dundee, Scotland, an M.A. in biochemistry from Pembroke College, Oxford and an MBA from the Rady School of Management of the University of California, San Diego.
The Board and Nominating Committee believe that Dr. O’Donnell’s substantial experience in developing, managing and investing in biopharmaceutical companies, along with his biochemistry expertise, qualified him to serve on the Board. Dr. O’Donnell has notified the Board that he intends to resign effective on the date of the Annual Meeting.