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WALTHAM, Mass., April 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: APLS) today announced that Craig Wheeler, founder and chief executive officer of Headwaters Biotech Advisors, will join the Apellis Board of Directors, effective immediately. Mr. Wheeler is a highly accomplished executive with more than 30 years of leadership experience across the biopharmaceutical industry.
“We are thrilled to welcome Craig to the Apellis Board of Directors,” said Cedric Francois, M.D., Ph.D., chief executive officer and co-founder, Apellis. “Craig is a seasoned leader, who has successfully grown biopharmaceutical companies into strong commercial organizations with robust pipelines. His expertise will be a tremendous asset to our Board as we continue to deliver innovative therapies to patients.”
Mr. Wheeler previously served as president and chief executive officer of Momenta Pharmaceuticals. During his 14-year tenure, he led the company from its early stages through multiple product launches and ultimately its acquisition by Johnson and Johnson in 2020. Prior to Momenta, he was president of Chiron Biopharmaceuticals, where he led a fully integrated global pharmaceutical business unit of approximately 2,500 global employees. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Amicus Therapeutics and previously served on the Board at Avanir Pharmaceuticals, the Generic Pharmaceutical Association, and the California Healthcare Institute.
“I have long admired Apellis’s commitment to advancing innovative therapies for patients with significant unmet needs,” said Mr. Wheeler. “Having previously led an immunology company, I believe that Apellis’s portfolio and scientific approach are among the best in the industry. I look forward to joining the outstanding leadership team at Apellis.”
Mr. Wheeler holds a Master of Business Administration in Finance and Marketing from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University.
About Apellis
Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a global biopharmaceutical company that combines courageous science and compassion to develop life-changing therapies for some of the most challenging diseases patients face. We ushered in the first new class of complement medicine in 15 years and now have two approved medicines targeting C3. These include the first-ever therapy for geographic atrophy, a leading cause of blindness around the world. We believe we have only begun to unlock the potential of targeting C3 across many serious diseases. For more information, please visit http://apellis.com or follow us on X and LinkedIn.