Connect Biopharma Hires General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer and Appoints a New Board Member

Rhea-AI Summary

Connect Biopharma (Nasdaq: CNTB) has appointed Jiang Bian as General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer, effective August 20, 2021. Bian brings extensive experience from Guardant Health and Pieris Pharmaceuticals, focusing on legal issues in healthcare and biopharma. Additionally, Jean Liu has joined the Board of Directors as an Independent Director, contributing over 20 years of biotech experience. These appointments aim to strengthen executive leadership and support Connect Biopharma's growth strategy, particularly in developing therapies for chronic inflammatory diseases.

Positive

• Appointment of Jiang Bian as General Counsel expected to improve legal oversight.
• Jean Liu's experience in biotech governance and strategic transactions enhances the Board.

Negative

• Concerns about continuity as the Company undergoes significant leadership changes.

TAICANG, SUZHOU, China and SAN DIEGO, Aug. 23, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Connect Biopharma Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: CNTB) ("Connect Biopharma" or the “Company”), a global clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the lives of patients with chronic inflammatory diseases through the development of therapies derived from T cell-driven research, today announced Mr. Jiang Bian has joined the Company as General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer, effective August 20, 2021. In his role, Mr. Bian will oversee Connect Biopharma’s legal function and will report to Dr. Zheng Wei, Co-founder and CEO. The hiring of Mr. Bian is an important step in filling out the Company’s Executive Leadership and advancing the organizational growth strategy.

Separately, the Company announced a change to the composition of its Board of Directors, with the appointment of Jean Liu, J.D., Executive Vice President, Legal Affairs, General Counsel and Secretary of Seagen Inc., a targeted cancer therapeutic company. Ms. Liu joins as an Independent Director to the Company.

“Jiang has strong experience both as a senior counsel in healthcare and biopharmaceutical companies as well as at a law firm representing global public companies and emerging life science and technology companies in licensing, intellectual property and corporate issues. He will be a key addition to our executive management team as we continue our progress as newly public company,” said Dr. Zheng Wei.

Mr. Bian joins Connect Biopharma from Guardant Health, Inc., a publicly traded precision oncology diagnostics company, based in Redwood City, California, where he served as Senior Counsel. Prior to Guardant Health, Mr. Bian was with Shartsis Friese LLP where he focused on corporate and technology licensing areas of legal advisory. Mr. Bian also held positions of increasing responsibility, including Senior Counsel at Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a publicly traded biotechnology company. He received his LL.B. from Southwest University of Political Science and Law, Chongqing, China, and his LL.M. in Intellectual Property and J.D. from George Washington University Law School.

“I am thrilled to be joining Connect and lead its global legal efforts as a part of a team that has made such significant progress over the past 18 months and with their recent IPO,” said Mr. Bian. “I look forward to working with Wei and the whole Connect team to achieve even greater results.”

Commenting on the appointment to the Board, Dr. Wubin Pan, Co-founder, President and Chairman of the Board, said, “We are delighted to have Ms. Jean Liu join our Board of Directors as we continue to deliver on our growth strategy. Jean is a highly respected biotech executive with more than twenty years of experience working with leading biotech companies in high-growth transformations through her deep expertise across corporate governance and strategic business transactions. Liu’s counsel will be a welcomed addition to our Board.”

“Connect’s pipeline progress in developing novel candidates targeting inflammatory diseases with high unmet medical need has been truly impressive,” said Ms. Liu. “I am excited for the opportunity to work closely with the team to continue Connect’s successful growth trajectory.”

About Connect Biopharma Holdings Limited
Connect Biopharma Holdings Limited is a global clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the lives of patients living with chronic inflammatory diseases through the development of therapies derived from our T cell-driven research.

Our lead product candidate, CBP-201, is an antibody designed to target interleukin-4 receptor alpha (IL-4Rα) and is currently being evaluated in clinical trials for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) and asthma and in development for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). Our second lead product candidate is CBP-307, a modulator of a T cell receptor known as sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1P1) that is in development for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). Furthermore, we are developing CBP-174, a peripherally restricted antagonist of histamine receptor 3, for the treatment of pruritus associated with skin inflammation.

With headquarters in China, additional operations in the United States and Australia, and clinical development activities in those geographies as well as Europe, Connect Biopharma is building a rich global pipeline of internally designed, wholly owned small molecules and antibodies targeting several aspects of T cell biology. For additional information about Connect Biopharma, please visit our website at www.connectbiopharm.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Connect Biopharma cautions that statements included in this press release that are not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements. Words such as "may," "could," "will," "would," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "intend," "predict," "seek," "contemplate," "potential," "continue" or "project" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The inclusion of forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by Connect Biopharma that any of its plans will be achieved. Actual results may differ from those set forth in this release due to the risks and uncertainties inherent in the Connect Biopharma business and other risks described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and Connect Biopharma undertakes no obligation to revise or update this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Connect Biopharma's filings with the SEC which are available from the SEC's website (www.sec.gov) and on Connect Biopharma's website (www.connectbiopharm.com) under the heading "Investors." All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. This caution is made under the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

IR/PR Contacts: 
Lazar FINN Partners
David Carey (IR)
T: +1-(212) 867-1768
david.carey@finnpartners.com

Erich Sandoval (Media)
T: +1-(917)-497-2867
erich.sandoval@finnpartners.com

Corporate Contacts:
info@connectpharm.com

FAQ

What is the significance of Jiang Bian's appointment at Connect Biopharma (CNTB)?

Jiang Bian's appointment as General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer is significant as it strengthens the legal framework of Connect Biopharma, particularly important for compliance in a newly public company.

How does Jean Liu's experience benefit Connect Biopharma's Board of Directors?

Jean Liu brings over 20 years of experience in strategic business transactions and corporate governance, which is expected to guide Connect Biopharma through its growth strategy.

When did the leadership changes at Connect Biopharma take place?

The leadership changes at Connect Biopharma were announced on August 23, 2021, with Jiang Bian starting his role on August 20, 2021.

What are the main focuses of Connect Biopharma's development strategy?

Connect Biopharma focuses on developing therapies for chronic inflammatory diseases, with candidates like CBP-201 and CBP-307 targeting conditions such as atopic dermatitis and ulcerative colitis.