Aimed at enhancing U.S. outreach, investor relations, corporate dialogue, and business development (BD) capabilities
MADRID and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oryzon Genomics, S.A. (ISIN Code: ES0167733015, ORY), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company leveraging epigenetics to develop therapies in diseases with strong unmet medical need, announces significant changes to its Board of Directors at the upcoming Shareholders' Meeting, scheduled for February 28. Four new members will be added to the Board: Dr. Konstantinos Alataris, Dr. Pierre Beaurang, Dr. Montserrat Vendrell, and Luis Sánchez Quintana.
At the same time, in accordance with Spanish law, several independent directors are approaching the maximum tenure of 12 years. Consequently, the independent directors Ramón Adell, Isabel Aguilera and Antonio Fornieles will conclude their terms. Additionally, Mr. Josep Ma Echarri and Dr. Tamara Maes have announced their intention to step down. Mr. Echarri cited the accumulation of responsibilities across various public company boards as the reason for his decision, while Dr. Maes stated personal reasons not to stand for reelection.
Meanwhile, Dr. Manuel López-Figueroa and Dr. Carlos Buesa will remain on the Board, subject to a positive vote by the Shareholders’ Meeting.
The company extends its sincere gratitude to each of the departing directors for their dedication and invaluable contributions throughout their tenure. Their unwavering commitment and professionalism have been pivotal to the company’s growth and success. The company reaffirms its commitment to good corporate governance and transparency in all its actions. The renewal of the Board of Directors reflects this commitment and the company’s determination to continue advancing the implementation of best practices for the benefit of all its shareholders and stakeholders.
The company has conducted a rigorous selection process to appoint new independent directors who meet the highest standards of independence, experience, and industry knowledge. This expertise is crucial to the next phase of the company's development, where, with Phase 3 and Phase 2 assets, it must optimize its outreach to corporate partners and Tier-1 investors. The process has been conducted with the utmost transparency and in full compliance with applicable regulations. As a result, this process has culminated in the selection of a group of highly qualified candidates for their potential shareholder approval, as presented and described below:
Dr. Konstantinos Alataris is an accomplished entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in the United States. He specializes in scaling innovative medical technology companies and successfully commercializing novel therapeutics. With a strong background as a founder, CEO, investor, and board member in the medical device industry, Dr. Alataris brings invaluable expertise to his endeavors. Notable positions in his career include serving as the Founder, President, and CEO of Nevro Corp, as well as the CEO and Co-Founder of Nēsos and the President and CEO of Zosano Pharma. Additionally, Dr. Alataris has chaired the scientific advisory board of iota Biosciences, which was acquired by Astellas Pharma. He has worked in various fields, including autoimmune, neurosurgical, neurological, neuropsychiatric, orthopedic, and cardiac disorders, both in operational roles and as a board member. Dr. Alataris holds a B.A. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering by the University of Athens, a PhD in Bioengineering & Biomedical Engineering by the University of Southern California and MBA in Finance by the University of Southern California.
Dr. Pierre Beaurang brings over 25 years of experience in biotechnology, with a focus on corporate strategy, business development, oncology, immunology, and neurology. Most recently, Dr. Beaurang served as CEO of Nitrase Therapeutics, a private biotechnology company specializing in a novel class of enzymes associated with neurodegenerative disorders and cancer. Previously, he held the position of Chief Business Officer at Nurix Therapeutics, where he played a pivotal role in scaling the company into a publicly traded, clinical-stage enterprise. During his time at Nurix, Dr. Beaurang led the establishment of transformative partnerships with global pharmaceutical companies and was an integral part of the leadership team driving the company’s successful IPO. Dr. Beaurang was also a founding member of Five Prime Therapeutics (later acquired by Amgen), an oncology and immunology biologics company. At Five Prime, he secured several major platform and product collaborations with pharmaceutical companies and licensed the company’s lead asset, which ultimately resulted in its acquisition for $1.9 billion in 2021. Dr. Beaurang holds a B.A. in Biology and an M.A. in Biotechnology from Boston University, as well as a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley.
Luis Sánchez Quintana is a former Partner at PwC, bringing over 33 years of professional experience, including 17 years as a Partner. During his tenure, he held the prestigious role of Global Head of the Pharma and Life Sciences Sector, where he provided strategic guidance to numerous leading companies. Mr. Sánchez Quintana served as Audit Partner for Laboratorios Rovi, supporting its growth trajectory and eventual IPO, as well as for other listed companies in the Spanish pharmaceutical sector, including Pharmamar and Faes. His extensive portfolio also includes serving as Audit Partner for key subsidiaries of multinational groups such as MSD, BMS, AstraZeneca, Roche, Laboratorios Indas, Farmalíder, Teva, GSK, Janssen, Johnson & Johnson, Italfármaco, Unolab, and Grupo Alter, among others. Additionally, he played a critical role in Nasdaq matters, acting as the responsible partner for Tigenix and as coordinator and advisor for PwC during VectiBio’s Nasdaq listing. With his extensive expertise in auditing and advising pharmaceutical and life sciences companies, Mr. Sánchez Quintana has been instrumental in supporting organizations through growth, regulatory, and financial milestones. Mr. Sánchez Quintana holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and Business Administration from the Complutense University of Madrid and a Master's in Economics and Business Management (Executive MBA) from IESE Business School (University of Navarra).
Dr. Montserrat Vendrell is partner at Aliath bioventures, a Barcelona-based venture capital firm specializing in investments in life sciences companies. With a distinguished career spanning leadership roles in science and innovation, Dr. Vendrell previously served as CEO of Biocat (2007–2015), the Barcelona Science Park (2014–2015), and the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST). Dr. Vendrell holds a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Barcelona and conducted post-doctoral research at Hoffmann-La Roche in New Jersey, USA, as well as at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). She also earned a Master's in Scientific Communication from UPF-Barcelona School of Management and completed the General Management Program (PDG) at IESE Business School. In addition to her current role at Aliath bioventures, Dr. Vendrell serves as Chair of the Executive Committee of the Pasqual Maragall Foundation for Research in Alzheimer’s Disease, reflecting her ongoing dedication to advancing biomedical innovation and research. She is also Board-Director at the following Biotech companies: Peptomyc, Ona Therapeutics, Inbrain Neuroelectronics, and Accure Therapeutics.
About Oryzon Founded in 2000 in Barcelona, Spain, Oryzon (ISIN Code: ES0167733015) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company and the European leader in epigenetics, with a strong focus on personalized medicine in CNS disorders and oncology. Oryzon’s team is composed of highly qualified professionals from the pharma industry located in Barcelona, Boston, and San Diego. Oryzon has an advanced clinical portfolio with two LSD1 inhibitors, vafidemstat in CNS (Phase III-ready) and iadademstat in oncology (Phase II). The company has other pipeline assets directed against other epigenetic targets like HDAC-6 where a clinical candidate ORY-4001, has been nominated for its possible development in CMT and ALS. In addition, Oryzon has a strong platform for biomarker identification and target validation for a variety of malignant and neurological diseases. For more information, visit www.oryzon.com
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This communication contains, or may contain, forward-looking information and statements about Oryzon, including financial projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives, and expectations with respect to future operations, capital expenditures, synergies, products and services, and statements regarding future performance. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally identified by the words “expects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “intends,” “estimates” and similar expressions. Although Oryzon believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors and holders of Oryzon shares are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of Oryzon that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include those discussed or identified in the documents sent by Oryzon to the Spanish Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV), which are accessible to the public. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and have not been reviewed by the auditors of Oryzon. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they were made. All subsequent oral or written forward-looking statements attributable to Oryzon or any of its members, directors, officers, employees, or any persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statement above. All forward-looking statements included herein are based on information available to Oryzon on the date hereof. Except as required by applicable law, Oryzon does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward‐looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. This press release is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States or any other jurisdiction. Oryzon’s securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. Any public offering of Oryzon’s securities to be made in the United States will be made by means of a prospectus that may be obtained from Oryzon or the selling security holder, as applicable, that will contain detailed information about Oryzon and management, as well as financial statements.
