Kymera Therapeutics Announces Key Leadership Appointments

Rhea-AI Summary

Kymera Therapeutics (NASDAQ: KYMR) has appointed William Leong, PhD, as Vice President of Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC), and Paul Cox as Vice President of Investor Relations and Communications. These strategic hires are expected to bolster the company’s operational capabilities as it approaches clinical development. Leong brings over 30 years of drug development experience, while Cox has 15 years in investor relations. Kymera aims to advance targeted protein degradation therapies to address complex disease targets using its proprietary Pegasus™ platform.

Positive

• Appointment of William Leong as VP of CMC enhances operational capabilities.
• Appointment of Paul Cox as VP of Investor Relations and Communications strengthens investor engagement.
• Company nearing clinical development represents growth potential.

Negative

• None.

WATERTOWN, Mass., Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kymera Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: KYMR), a biopharmaceutical company advancing targeted protein degradation to deliver novel, small molecule protein degrader therapeutics, today announced the appointments of William Leong, PhD, as Vice President of Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) and Paul Cox as Vice President of Investor Relations and Communications.

“I am excited to welcome both William and Paul to Kymera. These key strategic appointments will significantly strengthen our organizational capabilities as we continue to build Kymera into a fully integrated biotechnology company,” said Nello Mainolfi, PhD, Co-Founder, President and CEO, Kymera Therapeutics. “As a rapidly growing organization that is also nearing clinical development, we will benefit from their wealth of experience and proven track record of success in supporting both company and pipeline growth as we deliver on our mission of inventing a new class of protein degrader medicines for patients.”

Dr. Leong joins Kymera as Vice President of CMC. Prior to Kymera, he served as Senior Vice President of Technical Operations at Complexa Inc., where he was responsible for leading all CMC operations, including formulation development, process development, analytical science, regulatory, and supply chain activities. Dr. Leong has over 30 years of experience in drug development, including CMC, chemistry, and scientific leadership roles at Newron Pharmaceuticals, Celgene Corporation, and Schering-Plough Research Institute. Dr. Leong holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of San Francisco and a PhD from the University of California, Davis. He completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at Iowa State University, Ames.

Mr. Cox joins Kymera as Vice President of Investor Relations and Communications. Prior to Kymera, he held leadership roles in investor relations, corporate affairs, strategy, and communications at Sage Therapeutics, Neon Therapeutics, and Voyager Therapeutics. He has been ranked as a member of Institutional Investor’s All-America Executive Team and has approximately 15 years of communications and investor relations experience. Mr. Cox received a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in Political Science and is a Master’s degree candidate in Finance at Harvard University Extension School. He currently serves as a Director on the board of the Boston chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI).

About Kymera Therapeutics
Kymera Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company focused on a transformative new approach to address previously intractable disease targets. Kymera is advancing the field of targeted protein degradation, accessing the body’s innate protein recycling machinery to degrade dysregulated, disease-causing proteins. Kymera’s Pegasus™ targeted protein degradation platform harnesses the body’s natural protein recycling machinery to degrade disease-causing proteins, with a focus on un-drugged nodes in validated pathways currently inaccessible with conventional therapeutics. Kymera is accelerating drug discovery with an unmatched ability to target and degrade the most intractable of proteins, and advance new treatment options for patients. Kymera’s initial programs target IRAK4, IRAKIMiD, and STAT3 within the IL-1R/TLR or JAK/STAT pathways, providing the opportunity to treat a broad range of immune-inflammatory diseases, hematologic malignancies, and solid tumors. For more information, visit www.kymeratx.com.

About Pegasus™
Pegasus™ is Kymera Therapeutics’ proprietary protein degradation platform, created by its team of experienced drug hunters to improve the effectiveness of targeted protein degradation and generate a pipeline of novel therapeutics for previously undruggable diseases. The platform consists of informatics-driven target identification, novel E3 ligases, proprietary ternary complex predictive modeling capabilities, and degradation tools.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, without limitation, implied and express statements regarding its: strategy, business plans and objectives for the IRAKIMiD and STAT3 degrader programs; and plans and timelines for the clinical development of Kymera Therapeutics' product candidates, including the therapeutic potential and clinical benefits thereof. The words "may," “might,” "will," "could," "would," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "intend," "believe," “expect,” "estimate," “seek,” "predict," “future,” "project," "potential," "continue," "target" and similar words or expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and important factors that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, including, without limitation, risks associated with: the impact of COVID-19 on countries or regions in which we have operations or do business, as well as on the timing and anticipated results of our current preclinical studies and future clinical trials, strategy and future operations; the delay of any current preclinical studies or future clinical trials or the development of Kymera Therapeutics' drug candidates; the risk that the results of current preclinical studies may not be predictive of future results in connection with future clinical trials; Kymera Therapeutics' ability to successfully demonstrate the safety and efficacy of its drug candidates; the timing and outcome of the Company’s planned interactions with regulatory authorities; and obtaining, maintaining and protecting its intellectual property.  These and other risks and uncertainties are described in greater detail in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2020, filed on November 5, 2020, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in Kymera Therapeutics' subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, any forward-looking statements represent Kymera Therapeutics' views only as of today and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. Kymera Therapeutics explicitly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements. No representations or warranties (expressed or implied) are made about the accuracy of any such forward-looking statements.

Investor Contact:
Paul Cox
VP, Investor Relations and Communications
pcox@kymeratx.com
917-754-0207

Media Contact:
Lissette L. Steele
Verge Scientific Communications for Kymera Therapeutics
lsteele@vergescientific.com
202-930-4762

FAQ

What recent appointments were made at Kymera Therapeutics (KYMR)?

Kymera Therapeutics appointed William Leong, PhD as Vice President of Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls and Paul Cox as Vice President of Investor Relations and Communications.

How will the new hires at KYMR impact the company?

The new hires, William Leong and Paul Cox, are expected to strengthen Kymera’s operational capabilities and enhance investor relations as the company approaches clinical development.

What is the focus of Kymera Therapeutics' Pegasus™ platform?

Kymera's Pegasus™ platform focuses on targeted protein degradation to address complex disease targets, utilizing the body's natural protein recycling mechanisms.

What experience does William Leong bring to KYMR?

William Leong has over 30 years of experience in drug development, including leadership roles in CMC and scientific leadership at various biopharmaceutical companies.

What is the significance of Kymera's recent organizational changes?

The organizational changes are aimed at strengthening the company's capabilities as it prepares for clinical development and enhances its growth trajectory.