Coya Therapeutics Strengthens Leadership Team with Addition of Arun Swaminathan, Ph.D. as Chief Business Officer

Rhea-AI Summary

Coya Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: COYA) has appointed Dr. Arun Swaminathan as Chief Business Officer. With over 20 years of experience, he will drive business development and partnerships in Coya’s clinical-stage biotechnology pipeline. Notably, during his tenure at Alteogen, he facilitated deals worth $6B and at Actinium Pharmaceuticals, he executed a $452M deal. CEO Howard H. Berman expressed confidence in Swaminathan’s ability to enhance Coya's strategic direction, particularly following recent positive clinical data. Coya focuses on treatments targeting systemic inflammation and neuroinflammation through its Treg-enhancing therapeutic platforms.

Positive

• Appointment of Dr. Arun Swaminathan could enhance business development efforts.
• Swaminathan has a proven track record with $6B in deals at Alteogen.
• His previous $452M deal at Actinium demonstrates strong deal-making ability.
• Coya's innovative therapeutic platforms present potential for valuable partnerships.

Negative

• Transition may create initial disruptions in business continuity.
• Potential experience gap as Swaminathan adapts to Coya's specific environment.

• Dr. Swaminathan will be responsible for establishing and leading business development, leveraging his expertise in licensing, transactions, and establishing strategic collaborations within the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.
• In his two prior companies serving as Chief Business Officer, Dr. Swaminathan demonstrated strong deal making ability - At Alteogen, he executed $3.8 billion and $1.4 billion deals with two top ten global pharmaceutical companies, increasing the value of the company approximately 10-fold, from $400 million to $4 billion.
• At Actinium, within a year of his hiring, he executed the largest deal in their history, worth $452 million for commercial rights of EU, ME and North Africa.

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Coya Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: COYA) (“Coya” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing multiple therapeutic platforms intended to enhance Treg function, including biologics and cell therapies, today announced the appointment of Arun Swaminathan, Ph.D. to the role of Chief Business Officer. In this role, Arun will be responsible for facilitating new business development partnerships, including in/out licensing opportunities, across the Company’s pipeline.

Arun Swaminathan, Ph.D., Chief Business Officer, Coya Therapeutics, Inc.

Dr. Swaminathan comes to Coya with over 20 years of hands-on healthcare business executive experience with an emphasis on corporate and business development, strategy, and finance. He possesses a demonstrated history of prospecting, evaluating, structuring, and closing company validating transactions

“Our team is excited to welcome Arun to Coya at such an exciting time in our evolution. We look forward to working with him as we leverage his extensive experience and successful track record in corporate strategy and business development,” said Howard H. Berman, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer. “This is an opportune time for Arun to join our team on the heels of recent positive data and as we accelerate the clinical development of our biologic and cell therapy Treg immunomodulatory assets. We are confident that Arun’s contributions will prove to be impactful for Coya and our shareholders.”

“Coya has an innovative pipeline, and its multiple therapeutic platforms provide a strong base for potential value-creating partnerships,” said Dr. Swaminathan. “I look forward to working with Howard and the Coya team to realize the promise of Coya’s portfolio and deliver new therapies for patients.”

Prior to joining Coya, Dr. Swaminathan served as Chief Business Officer (CBO) for Actinium Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: ATNM) where he was responsible for all business development including out-licensing, in-licensing and other creative value generating options. Within one year of joining Actinium, he successfully moved forward negotiations to closure and executed a $452M deal with $35M upfront payment. Prior to Actinium, he was the chief business officer at Alteogen (196170.KQ) where he spearheaded over $6B in deals, including with two of the top 10 global pharma companies and a $1B+ deal within the first year of assuming the role of CBO. Prior to this, he co-founded and served as CEO of Lynkogen Inc, a pre-clinical stage biotech.

Dr. Swaminathan began his career in clinical development and commercial roles of increasing responsibility at Bristol Myers Squibb and Covance. He obtained his Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences from University of Pittsburgh.

About Coya Therapeutics, Inc.

Headquartered in Houston, TX, Coya Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: COYA) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing proprietary treatments focused on the biology and potential therapeutic advantages of regulatory T cells (“Tregs”) to target systemic inflammation and neuroinflammation. Dysfunctional Tregs underlie numerous conditions including neurodegenerative, metabolic, and autoimmune diseases, and this cellular dysfunction may lead to a sustained inflammation and oxidative stress resulting in lack of homeostasis of the immune system. Coya’s investigational product candidate pipeline leverages multiple therapeutic modalities aimed at restoring the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory functions of Tregs. Coya’s therapeutic platforms include Treg-enhancing biologics, Treg-derived exosomes, and autologous Treg cell therapy. Coya’s 300 Series product candidates, COYA 301 and COYA 302, are biologic therapies intended to enhance Treg function and expand Treg numbers. COYA 301 is a cytokine biologic for subcutaneous administration intended to enhance Treg function and expand Treg numbers in vivo, and COYA 302 is a biologic combination for subcutaneous and/or intravenous administration intended to enhance Treg function while depleting T effector function and activated macrophages. These two mechanisms may be additive or synergistic in suppressing inflammation. For more information about Coya, please visit www.coyatherapeutics.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking” statements that are based on our management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management. Forward-looking statements include all statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this presentation, including information concerning our current and future financial performance, business plans and objectives, current and future clinical and preclinical development activities, timing and success of our ongoing and planned clinical trials and related data, the timing of announcements, updates and results of our clinical trials and related data, our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval, the potential therapeutic benefits and economic value of our product candidates, competitive position, industry environment and potential market opportunities. The words “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors including, but not limited to, those related to risks associated with the impact of COVID-19; the success, cost and timing of our product candidate development activities and ongoing and planned clinical trials; our plans to develop and commercialize targeted therapeutics; the progress of patient enrollment and dosing in our preclinical or clinical trials; the ability of our product candidates to achieve applicable endpoints in the clinical trials; the safety profile of our product candidates; the potential for data from our clinical trials to support a marketing application, as well as the timing of these events; our ability to obtain funding for our operations; development and commercialization of our product candidates; the timing of and our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approvals; the rate and degree of market acceptance and clinical utility of our product candidates; the size and growth potential of the markets for our product candidates, and our ability to serve those markets; our commercialization, marketing and manufacturing capabilities and strategy; future agreements with third parties in connection with the commercialization of our product candidates; our expectations regarding our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection; our dependence on third party manufacturers; the success of competing therapies or products that are or may become available; our ability to attract and retain key scientific or management personnel; our ability to identify additional product candidates with significant commercial potential consistent with our commercial objectives; and our estimates regarding expenses, future revenue, capital requirements and needs for additional financing.

We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, short-term and long-term business operations and objectives, and financial needs. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment, and new risks may emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed herein may not occur and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. Although our management believes that the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee that the future results, levels of activity, performance or events and circumstances described in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or occur. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230327005218/en/

Investor Contact

David Snyder

david@coyatherapeutics.com



Hayden IR

James Carbonara

(646)-755-7412

James@haydenir.com



Media Contact

Jessica Starman

media@coyatherapeutics.com

Source: Coya Therapeutics, Inc.

FAQ

Who is the new Chief Business Officer of Coya Therapeutics?

Dr. Arun Swaminathan has been appointed as the Chief Business Officer.

What is Dr. Swaminathan's background?

He has over 20 years of experience in healthcare business, focusing on corporate and business development.

What significant deals did Dr. Swaminathan close at his previous companies?

At Alteogen, he closed deals worth $6B, and at Actinium, he executed a $452M deal.

How might Dr. Swaminathan's appointment impact Coya Therapeutics?

His appointment is expected to enhance Coya's business development and partnership opportunities.

What recent developments prompted Coya Therapeutics to hire Dr. Swaminathan?

The company has seen recent positive clinical data, creating an opportune time for new leadership.