FibroGen Appoints John Hunter, Ph.D. as Chief Scientific Officer
FibroGen (NASDAQ: FGEN) appointed Dr. John Hunter as Chief Scientific Officer, tasked with advancing the company's research initiatives. Dr. Hunter brings over 20 years of experience in biopharmaceuticals, previously serving as Chief Executive & Scientific Officer at Keyhole Therapeutics and Chief Scientific Officer at Compugen. He has driven the strategic direction leading to multiple IND filings and clinical advancements. Under his leadership, FibroGen aims to push its late-stage programs towards commercialization while enhancing its early drug pipeline.
- Dr. Hunter's extensive experience in biopharmaceuticals is expected to advance FibroGen's scientific agenda.
- His leadership may enhance existing efforts in commercializing late-stage clinical programs.
- Concerns may arise regarding continuity of leadership experience as Dr. Hunter transitions into this role.
SAN FRANCISCO, July 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FibroGen, Inc. (NASDAQ: FGEN) announced the appointment of John Hunter, Ph.D., to the position of Chief Scientific Officer, where he will lead FibroGen’s research efforts, leveraging more than 20 years of global biopharmaceutical leadership and experience.
“Great science and innovation are the backbone of FibroGen and what enable us to develop transformational medicines for patients. With John’s leadership, we will continue our legacy of biological breakthroughs and advancing first-in-class therapeutics,” said Enrique Conterno, Chief Executive Officer, FibroGen. “John’s expertise and experience make him the ideal person to lead FibroGen’s scientific agenda and I look forward to his leadership impact on advancing our pipeline of novel drug candidates.”
Dr. Hunter most recently served as Chief Executive & Scientific Officer of Keyhole Therapeutics Inc, a private immuno-oncology company. Prior to Keyhole, John spent 8 years at Compugen Limited, where he was most recently Chief Scientific Officer & US Site Head. During his tenure at Compugen he set the strategic direction for and managed an international drug development team resulting in 3 IND filings that included the entry of two first-in-class immune checkpoint inhibitors into the clinic.
Prior to joining Compugen, Dr. Hunter served as a Senior Director at XOMA, managing strategic and functional activities related to development of the preclinical antibody pipeline. He began his industry career at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, where he worked on target discovery and translational medicine aspects of Millennium’s internal and partnered small molecule drug programs.
John has authored or co-authored 20 peer-reviewed publications and is an inventor on 13 issued US patents and over 40 published patent applications. He received his bachelor’s degree in Biology from Hartwick College and his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from University of California San Francisco.
“I am incredibly excited to join FibroGen in advancing compelling late stage clinical programs towards commercialization, while at the same time retaining a firm commitment to enhancing an early drug pipeline,” said Dr. Hunter. “I look forward to building on existing efforts at the company to bring new programs into the clinic, and working with the R&D and clinical teams to develop the next generation of novel medicines to address areas of high unmet clinical need.”
About FibroGen
FibroGen, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing, and commercializing a pipeline of first-in-class therapeutics. The Company applies its pioneering expertise in hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) biology to advance innovative medicines for the treatment of unmet needs. The Company is currently developing and commercializing roxadustat, an oral small molecule inhibitor of HIF prolyl hydroxylase activity, for anemia associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Roxadustat is also in clinical development for anemia associated with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and for chemotherapy-induced anemia (CIA). Pamrevlumab, an anti-CTGF human monoclonal antibody, is in clinical development for the treatment of locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer (LAPC), Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). For more information, please visit www.fibrogen.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements regarding our strategy, future plans and prospects, including statements regarding the development and commercialization of the company’s product candidates, the potential safety and efficacy profile of our product candidates, our clinical programs and regulatory events, and those of our partners. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about our plans, objectives, representations and contentions and are not historical facts and typically are identified by use of terms such as “may,” “will”, “should,” “on track,” “could,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue” and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently. Our actual results may differ materially from those indicated in these forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties related to the continued progress and timing of our various programs, including the enrollment and results from ongoing and potential future clinical trials, and other matters that are described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for quarter ended March 31, 2021 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the risk factors set forth therein. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement in this press release, except as required by law.
Contacts:
FibroGen, Inc.
Investors:
Michael Tung, M.D.
Corporate Strategy / Investor Relations
mtung@fibrogen.com
Media:
GCI Health
FibroGenMedia@gcihealth.com
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