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January 05, 2022

Hemab Therapeutics Appoints John Maraganore as Chair of Board of Directors and Welcomes New Additions to Board and Leadership Team

Experts in clinical development and finance join to advance first-in-class prophylactic therapies for rare bleeding disorders and thrombosis

  • Hemab Therapeutics Appoints John Maraganore as Chair of Board of Directors
  • Linda Bain, CFO of Codiak BioSciences, joins the Board of Directors
  • Wendy Hill named Hemab’s Senior Vice President of Development and Program Management

Copenhagen, Denmark and Boston, MASS., US – 5 January 2022

Hemab Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing next generation therapeutics for serious, underserved bleeding and thrombosis disorders, today announced the appointment of John Maraganore, PhD, former founding CEO of Alnylam, as Board Chair, and Linda Bain, CFO of Codiak BioSciences, as Board member. The company also announced the appointment of Wendy Hill as Senior Vice President of Development and Program Management to lead its clinical development programs.

“I am humbled to have led Hemab since its inception and to see it advance the next generation of therapeutics for some of the world’s rarest forms of bleeding disorders,” said Jørgen Søberg Petersen, MD, PhD, DMSc, MBA, Partner at Novo Holdings and Hemab’s Immediate Past Chair. “We are both honored and pleased that John has accepted the role as independent Board Chair, and I personally look forward to working with John to bring Hemab’s vision to fruition.”

“We are delighted to ring in the New Year with the appointments of John, Linda, and Wendy—three incredible additions to our Board and leadership as we enter the clinic,” said Benny Sorensen, MD, PhD, President and CEO of Hemab. “John brings unprecedented experience, passion, and drive to deliver new innovative treatments to patients with underserved bleeding and thrombosis disorders. Linda brings a wealth of financial and strategic know-how to our Board, and Wendy has an established track record of advancing early- and late-stage clinical programs. Their collective expertise will be integral to progressing our pipeline of first-in-class prophylactic thrombotic treatments for patients.”

A veteran of the biotech industry, Dr. Maraganore brings decades of experience in business and scientific thought leadership and strategic product development to the role of Board Chair. In his nearly 20-year tenure as the founding CEO of Alnylam, he steered the company’s efforts to pioneer RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics, raising over $7 billion to fund its programs and establishing partnerships with more than 25 of the leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. As inventor of bivalirudin, a direct-acting thrombin inhibitor later commercialized as ANGIOMAXTM, as well as his formative contributions to Fitusiran, an RNAi therapeutic targeting antithrombin for the treatment of hemophilia A or B, he has deep knowledge of thrombosis and hemostasis research and development.

“Hemab is in a unique position to deliver truly transformative therapies for patients with rare blood disorders,” said Dr. Maraganore. “While there have been tremendous strides made in the treatment of hemophilia, for many other blood and clotting disorders, blood transfusions are still considered standard of care and mortality rates are high. Hemab’s pipeline and platform has the potential to, for the first time, offer innovative life-changing prophylactic treatment for these patients. I am honored and excited to join the Board and to work with Hemab leadership to deliver on the promise of these medicines.”

Ms. Bain will help guide Hemab’s future financial planning and strategy with extensive experience from a successful career in finance, business, and operational leadership at biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Prior to joining Codiak, she held senior roles at Avalanche Biotechnologies, bluebird bio, Genzyme, Fidelity Investments, and Astra Zeneca. Ms. Bain’s dedication to health equity will be key to advancing the company’s mission to aid underserved patients around the world.
“I look forward to guiding Hemab’s financial stewardship in support of its mission of meeting the unmet needs of patients across all geographies and demographics,” said Ms. Bain.

As the latest addition to Hemab’s leadership staff team, Ms. Hill will oversee the company’s clinical development and program management efforts. Previously serving as Vice President of Clinical Operations at Codiak BioSciences and Senior Director of Immuno-Oncology at Genocea, she has built and executed both early- and late-stage clinical development programs across diverse product sectors. Ms. Hill’s experience leading cross-functional teams and overseeing drug development will be invaluable in advancing Hemab’s monoclonal and bispecific antibody-based therapeutics.

About Hemab Therapeutics

Hemab is a biotech company developing next generation therapeutics for serious, underserved bleeding and thrombosis disorders. The company announced an oversubscribed $55 million Series A led by RA Capital Management, Novo Holdings and HealthCap in July 2021. Based in Denmark and the US, Hemab has exclusive licenses to antibody technologies from both Novo Nordisk and Genmab. Hemab aims to progress its pipeline of monoclonal and bispecific antibody-based therapeutics with the vision of transforming the treatment paradigm for blood disease patients—from orphan disorders to broad indications with high unmet need. Learn more at hemab.com.

Source: Hemab Therapeutics