Exhibit 99.1
Mr. Wilbur L. Ross, Former United States Secretary of Commerce, Joins Board of Coya Therapeutics, Inc.
| • | | Secretary Ross has over 55 years’ experience as a business leader, banker, and investor and is the former Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer of WL Ross & Co. |
HOUSTON, TX - Coya Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: COYA) (“Coya” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing biologics and cell therapies intended to enhance the function of Regulatory T Cells (Tregs), today announced that it has appointed Secretary Wilbur Ross to its board of directors, effective immediately. Coya intends to leverage Secretary Ross’s extensive experience in both the business and investment community to help guide strategic partnering activities, capital markets initiatives and drug development programs.
Secretary Ross explained, “I am excited to join the Board of Coya. I believe the Company is uniquely positioned in translating the science of regulatory T cell biology and inflammation into promising therapies for terrible diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s Disease and other conditions with high unmet need. I am pleased to provide my support and advocacy to help drive Coya’s important mission.”
Wilbur L. Ross, Jr. was sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence as the 39th U.S. Secretary of Commerce on February 28, 2017. Secretary Ross is the former Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer of WL Ross & Co. LLC and has over 55 years of investment banking and private equity experience. Secretary Ross has been chairman or lead director of more than 100 companies operating in more than 20 different countries. Named by Bloomberg Markets as one of the 50 most influential people in global finance, Secretary Ross is the only person elected to both the Private Equity Hall of Fame and the Turnaround Management Hall of Fame.
“I am delighted that Secretary Ross will bring his long and noteworthy experience in capital markets and business operations to Coya. By partnering with Dr. Reddy’s and by closing our recent financing transaction, we believe we have executed a major transformation of our company. We’re entering a new phase of our development and we believe Secretary Ross will be integral in helping drive us towards our ambitious goals,” stated Howard Berman, Ph.D., CEO of Coya.
About Coya Therapeutics, Inc.
Headquartered in Houston, TX, Coya Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: COYA) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing proprietary treatments focused on the biology and potential therapeutic advantages of regulatory T cells (“Tregs”) to target systemic inflammation and neuroinflammation. Dysfunctional Tregs underlie numerous conditions including neurodegenerative, metabolic, and autoimmune diseases, and this cellular dysfunction may lead to a sustained inflammation and oxidative stress resulting in lack of homeostasis of the immune system. Coya’s investigational product candidate pipeline leverages multiple therapeutic modalities aimed at restoring the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory functions of Tregs. Coya’s lead therapeutic programs includes Treg-enhancing biologics (COYA 300 Series product