Aerami Therapeutics Appoints Lisa Yañez as Chief Executive Officer
Ms. Yañez brings deep category experience and will lead Aerami’s focus on cardiopulmonary disease as AER-901 (inhaled imatinib) nears initiation of Phase 2 development in PAH
Lisa Yañez
Incoming Chief Executive Officer
Aerami Therapeutics
DURHAM, N.C., Dec. 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aerami Therapeutics Holdings, Inc (“Aerami”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to breathing life into the treatment of serious cardiopulmonary and cardiometabolic conditions, today announced the appointment of Lisa Yañez as chief executive officer, effective January 1, 2023. As part of a planned leadership transition, Steve Thornton will retire as CEO at the end of the year but remain on the Board of Directors and assume the Chairmanship of the Finance Committee.
Since joining the leadership team at Aerami as Chief Operating Officer earlier this year, Ms. Yañez has overseen important milestones for the company’s inhaled imatinib program, AER-901, including submission of the Investigational New Drug application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and planning for the Phase 2 clinical trial, with a goal of enrolling the first patient during the first half of 2023. Ms. Yañez has more than 25 years of leadership experience at leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including Merck, Genentech, GSK, and most recently, United Therapeutics and Acceleron Pharma. At United Therapeutics, Ms. Yañez led the multi-billion-dollar PAH franchise that includes five of the fifteen currently FDA-approved therapies for PAH. At Acceleron, Ms. Yañez spearheaded initiatives that engaged clinical development, preclinical research and external medical experts to build a differentiated pulmonary franchise strategy and PAH development program for a potential reverse remodeling therapy.
“We are thrilled that Lisa is on board to help guide Aerami Therapeutics into the next phase of clinical development and ultimately commercialization of approved products,” said Anne Whitaker, Chairman of the Board. “As Aerami continues to advance potentially life-changing medicines, Lisa’s deep experience in cardiopulmonary disease will bring the focused expertise Aerami needs to grow the business and strengthen our platform opportunities. On behalf of the Board, I would also like to thank Steve for his leadership over the past two years and for the significant progress made at Aerami on his watch.”
“I’m delighted to lead Aerami and its development programs at this critical stage for the company,” said Lisa Yañez, incoming CEO. “Having seen firsthand the potential of AER-901 in PAH and knowing the strength of our other drug-device development programs, I look forward to helping our team add as much value as we can to patients’ lives by focusing on the potential of AER-901 and additional pipeline assets.”
“Lisa has been a highly valued and collaborative industry partner for clinical development in PAH,” said Dr. Vallerie McLaughlin, Kim A Eagle, MD Endowed Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Director of the Pulmonary Hypertension Program at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor. “I look forward to continuing to work closely with her and her team at Aerami Therapeutics as they further develop AER-901 to address high unmet need for new therapeutic options.”
About Aerami Therapeutics Holdings, Inc.
Aerami is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to breathing life into the treatment of serious cardiopulmonary and cardiometabolic conditions. In addition to AER-901, in development for PAH, the company’s cardiometabolic portfolio includes drug-device combination product candidates in Types 1 and 2 diabetes, which leverage Aerami’s proprietary AFINA™ inhaler technology. Our product candidates have not been approved by any regulatory authority, and their safety, efficacy or other desirable attributes have not been established. For more information visit http://www.aerami.com.
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” concerning the development and commercialization of Aerami’s product candidates, timing of clinical trials, the company’s business development efforts and its expectations regarding its prospects, including, but not limited to, the timing and outcome of current and planned clinical trials. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual future events or results to differ materially from such statements, including, but not limited to, risks associated with the clinical development process and the ability to obtain funding to support planned clinical activities, such as the completion of Aerami’s planned Phase 2 trial for AER-901. These statements are made as of the date of this press release. Actual results may vary. Aerami undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements for any reason.
Aerami Investor and Media Contact:
Joshua Ziel, PhD
Vice President, Program Development
jziel@aerami.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0848bb12-9e4f-4666-85e1-83ca025a6c9c
Lisa Yanez Headshot
Photo of Lisa Yanez
Released December 21, 2022