Enanta Pharmaceuticals Announces the Appointment of Brendan Luu as Senior Vice President, Business Development
Enanta Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ENTA) announced the appointment of Brendan Luu as Senior Vice President of Business Development, enhancing its leadership team. With over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical sector, Luu previously held significant roles at Merck KGaA, focusing on business development strategies. This transition comes as Enanta prepares for a catalyst-rich year, particularly in advancing its pipeline targeting viral infections and liver diseases, including promising candidates for RSV and hepatitis B.
- Brendan Luu brings over 20 years of experience in business development, likely enhancing strategic growth.
- The appointment is timely as Enanta prepares for a catalyst-rich year with several data readouts expected.
- Concerns about continuity and experience gaps as the company integrates a new senior executive.
Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENTA), a clinical stage biotechnology company dedicated to creating small molecule drugs for viral infections and liver diseases, today announced the appointment of Brendan Luu as Senior Vice President, Business Development and member of the company’s senior management team. Mr. Luu brings more than 20 years of diversified business development and sales and marketing experience in the pharmaceutical and technology fields to Enanta, spanning a broad range of therapeutic areas, asset stages and deal structures.
Brendan Luu, Senior Vice President, Business Development, Enanta Pharmaceuticals (Photo: Business Wire)
“It is an ideal time to welcome Brendan to the Enanta team, particularly as we prepare for a catalyst-rich year, including data readouts, in our wholly owned pipeline of virology and liver disease treatment candidates,” said Jay R. Luly, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer. “In the coming year and continuing through the advancement of our clinical and preclinical programs, Brendan’s insights and experience leading business development growth strategies will be tremendous assets to Enanta.”
“Enanta is an established leader in the discovery and development of virology and liver disease treatments. The company’s product candidates for respiratory syncytial virus, hepatitis B virus and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis have transformative potential for the treatment of patients in these significant disease populations, and Enanta’s discovery efforts in human metapneumovirus and SARS-CoV-2 are equally promising,” said Brendan Luu. “I am eager to collaborate with the company’s seasoned leadership team to continue their proven legacy of success and bring meaningful treatments to patients in need.”
Mr. Luu joins Enanta following 17 years at Merck KGaA, where he held roles of increasing responsibility. Most recently, he was Vice President and Global Head of Oncology Business Development, responsible for setting the franchise business development strategy and was accountable for its execution, including the completion of several major transactions across all stages of drug development in line with the company’s R&D goals. Prior to assuming the role in 2018, Mr. Luu was Senior Director and Global Head of Business Development, Strategic Initiatives, where he led the strategy and partnering efforts to secure external financing for Merck KGaA’s late-stage pipeline. Before that, Mr. Luu was Director, Global Licensing and Business Development, Neurology and Immunology, where he led in/out licensing transactions for preclinical and clinical-stage assets to support R&D in neurodegenerative diseases. Previously, he was an Associate Director of Regional Business Development, General Medicines responsible for growing the product portfolio in the Asia-Pacific region. Earlier in his career, he held various roles in the chemicals industry with BASF Corporation and in telecommunications with Tyco International, working in engineering, sales and marketing.
Mr. Luu graduated magna cum laude from Drexel University with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and Biology. He also holds an M.B.A. from the New York University Stern School of Business.
About Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Enanta is using its robust, chemistry-driven approach and drug discovery capabilities to become a leader in the discovery and development of small molecule drugs for the treatment of viral infections and liver diseases. Enanta’s research and development efforts have produced clinical candidates for the following disease targets: respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Enanta is also conducting research in human metapneumovirus (hMPV) and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).
Enanta’s research and development activities are funded by royalties from hepatitis C virus (HCV) products developed under its collaboration with AbbVie. Glecaprevir, a protease inhibitor discovered by Enanta, is sold by AbbVie in numerous countries as part of its leading treatment for chronic HCV infection under the tradenames MAVYRET® (U.S.) and MAVIRET® (ex-U.S.) (glecaprevir/pibrentasvir). Please visit www.enanta.com for more information.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements with respect to the prospects for advancement of Enanta’s clinical development programs. Statements that are not historical facts are based on management’s current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about Enanta’s business and the industry in which it operates and management’s beliefs and assumptions. The statements contained in this release are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed in such forward-looking statements. Important factors and risks that may affect actual results include: the discovery and development risks of Enanta’s programs in RSV, NASH, HBV, hMPV and SARS-CoV-2; the competitive impact of development, regulatory and marketing efforts of others in those disease areas; any continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Enanta’s business operations and clinical trials; Enanta’s lack of clinical development experience; Enanta’s need to attract and retain senior management and key research and development personnel; Enanta’s need to obtain and maintain patent protection for its product candidates and avoid potential infringement of the intellectual property rights of others; and other risk factors described or referred to in “Risk Factors” in Enanta’s most recent Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020, and other periodic reports filed more recently with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Enanta cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this release. These statements speak only as of the date of this release, and Enanta undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, except as may be required by law.
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