Krystal Biotech Appoints Whitney Ijem as Senior Vice President, Strategy and Business Development

Rhea-AI Summary

Krystal Biotech (NASDAQ: KRYS) announced the appointment of Whitney Ijem as the Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development. Joining from Guggenheim Securities, Ijem brings extensive experience in genetic medicine. Her role aims to advance Krystal's efforts in treating rare skin and lung diseases using their proprietary HSV-1 platform. CEO Krish S. Krishnan expressed enthusiasm for Ijem’s addition, highlighting her strong industry connections and expertise.

Positive

• Appointment of Whitney Ijem brings expertise in gene therapy, enhancing leadership team.
• Strong industry relationships of Ijem may improve partnerships and funding opportunities.
• Ijem's experience in biotechnology can help expedite development of Krystal's product candidates.

Negative

• Potential concerns about continuity in leadership given the newly created role.

PITTSBURGH, July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Krystal Biotech, Inc. (Nasdaq:KRYS), a fully integrated gene therapy company driven by its proprietary, engineered herpes simplex virus type 1 vector (HSV-1) platform, today announced the appointment of Whitney Ijem to the newly created position of Senior Vice President, Strategy and Business Development. Ms. Ijem joins Krystal from Guggenheim Securities, where she served as Managing Director and Senior Biotechnology Analyst covering genetic medicine and rare disease companies. Ms. Ijem will join Krystal this month and will take a place on the company's leadership team.

“We are thrilled to welcome Whitney to Krystal Biotech,” said Krish S. Krishnan, chairman and chief executive officer of Krystal Biotech. “Whitney’s deep knowledge of the gene therapy space and the Company and her strong relationships with the financial community and healthcare industry make her a valuable addition to the team as we continue to advance medicines to treat rare skin and lung diseases. I look forward to working closely with Whitney in her new role.”

Whitney Ijem added, “I have followed the Krystal story for years and have been encouraged by the clinical data generated so far. I believe the company's proprietary HSV-1 platform has potential to transform the lives of patients in several different disease areas and feel fortunate and excited to be joining this talented team at such an important time. I look forward to helping advance Krystal's medicines for the treatment of rare and debilitating skin diseases, while also working to shape the next phase of growth as the company leverages its platform to address additional skin disorders, diseases of the lung, and beyond.”

Prior to Joining Guggenheim, Ms. Ijem was a therapeutics analyst at Tourbillon Capital where she focused on companies across the therapeutics space. Prior to Tourbillon, she was an analyst in the J.P. Morgan Equity Research Healthcare group focused on biotechnology. Before joining J.P. Morgan, Ms. Ijem was a biotech analyst at Canaccord Genuity. She holds a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis and a M.S. in Biomaterials Science from New York University.

About Krystal Biotech
Krystal Biotech, Inc. (NASDAQ:KRYS) is a gene therapy company dedicated to developing and commercializing novel treatments for patients suffering from dermatological diseases. For more information, please visit http://www.krystalbio.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects for Krystal Biotech, Inc., including but not limited to statements about the development of Krystal’s product candidates, such as plans for the design, conduct and timelines of ongoing clinical trials of beremagene geperpavec (“B-VEC”), KB105 and KB407; the clinical utility of B-VEC, KB105 and KB407, and Krystal’s plans for filing of regulatory approvals and efforts to bring B-VEC, KB105 and KB407 to market; the market opportunity for and the potential market acceptance of B-VEC, KB105 and KB407; plans to pursue research and development of other product candidates; the sufficiency of Krystal’s existing cash resources; the unanticipated impact of COVID-19 on Krystal’s business operations, pre-clinical activities and clinical trials; and other statements containing the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” “potential,” “likely,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “continue,” and similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: the uncertainties inherent in the initiation and conduct of clinical trials, availability and timing of data from clinical trials, whether results of early clinical trials or trials will be indicative of the results of ongoing or future trials, uncertainties associated with regulatory review of clinical trials and applications for marketing approvals, the availability or commercial potential of product candidates including B-VEC, KB105 and KB407, the sufficiency of cash resources and need for additional financing and such other important factors as are set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in Krystal’s annual and quarterly reports on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent Krystal’s views as of the date of this release. Krystal anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its views to change. However, while Krystal may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Krystal’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this release.

CONTACTS:

Investors:
Ashley R. Robinson
LifeSci Advisors
arr@lifesciadvisors.com

Media:
Darren Opland, PhD
LifeSci Communications
darren@lifescicomms.com

Source: Krystal Biotech, Inc.

FAQ

Who is Whitney Ijem and what is her role at Krystal Biotech?

Whitney Ijem has been appointed as the Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at Krystal Biotech, bringing extensive experience from Guggenheim Securities.

What impact does Whitney Ijem's appointment have on Krystal Biotech?

Her appointment is expected to bolster Krystal's efforts in advancing gene therapy treatments for rare diseases and strengthen industry relationships.

What background does Whitney Ijem have in the biotech industry?

Whitney Ijem has worked as a Managing Director and Senior Biotechnology Analyst at Guggenheim Securities and has held positions at Tourbillon Capital and J.P. Morgan in biotech analysis.

What is Krystal Biotech's main focus as a company?

Krystal Biotech focuses on developing and commercializing novel gene therapies for patients suffering from dermatological diseases.

What is the significance of the HSV-1 platform for Krystal Biotech?

The HSV-1 platform is crucial for Krystal's strategy to develop treatments for rare skin and lung diseases, potentially transforming patient care in these areas.