MENLO PARK, Calif., Sept. 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CohBar, Inc. (NASDAQ: CWBR), a clinical stage biotechnology company developing mitochondria based therapeutics to treat chronic diseases and extend healthy lifespan, today announced the appointment of Joanne Yun, Ph.D. as an independent director on the company’s Board, effective September 14, 2021. Dr. Yun brings extensive research and development, commercial, and governance experience from the pharmaceutical industry.
"We are very pleased to add Dr. Yun as an independent director and look forward to her strategic input as we continue to develop our diverse pipeline of novel mitochondria based therapeutics," said David Greenwood, Chairman of CohBar. "Joanne has a wealth of industry experience with a large, impressive network. Her deep understanding of the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries will provide significant contributions."
“I am quite excited to join CohBar’s Board and believe the company is well positioned to address a number of important medical conditions in need of new therapies,” stated Dr. Yun. “CohBar’s unique approach to developing novel peptide therapeutics provides multiple independent opportunities for success, with the potential to make a real difference in the lives of patients. I look forward to working closely with the management team and the rest of the Board to advance the company’s pipeline and build on the recent success of the positive topline data from the CB4211 clinical trial.”
Dr. Yun is a partner at Egon Zehnder, one of the world’s preeminent leadership advisory firms and is currently a member of the firm’s Health Practice. In addition to her board and executive leadership work for global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, Dr. Yun leads the Research & Development segment of Egon Zehnder’s Health Practice.
Prior to joining Egon Zehnder, Dr. Yun was a Director in the Global Oncology Business Unit for Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals with responsibility for oncology program management and new product planning. She has advised on all aspects of research, development, and commercial strategies, including portfolio prioritization, business development, alliance governance, and merger integration. Dr. Yun started her career with Bayer AG as a Bench Chemist and Laboratory Head in the Organic Synthesis Department of Bayer’s Central Research Division in Leverkusen, Germany. She later transitioned into the Corporate Research & Development Planning Department for the Bayer AG Board of Management and then joined the Strategic Planning Department for the Pharmaceuticals Division, where she focused on global merger & acquisition strategies and transactions. Dr. Yun subsequently transferred to Bayer’s North America Business Development & Licensing group.
Dr. Yun earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and French from Amherst College and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She was a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Postdoctoral Fellow at The Scripps Research Institute and is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Hematology, and the American Chemical Society.
About CohBar
CohBar (NASDAQ: CWBR) is a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on the research and development of mitochondria based therapeutics, an emerging class of drugs for the treatment of chronic and age-related diseases. Mitochondria based therapeutics originate from the discovery by CohBar’s founders of a novel group of naturally occurring peptide sequences within the mitochondrial genome, some of which have been shown to have the potential to regulate key processes in multiple systems and organs in the body. To date, the company has discovered more than 100 mitochondrial derived peptides and generated over 1,000 analogs. CohBar’s efforts focus on the development of these peptides into therapeutics that offer the potential to address a broad range of diseases associated with the underlying impact of mitochondrial dysfunction. The company’s lead compound, CB4211, which is under development for the treatment of NASH and obesity, recently completed a successful Phase 1a/1b clinical trial. In addition, CohBar has four preclinical programs, the most advanced of which is CB5138-3, a peptide with broad anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory properties. This program is currently in IND-enabling studies with the goal of filing an IND and initiating a First-in-Human study in 2022 with an initial indication of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The company also has a program in ARDS, including COVID-19 associated ARDS, as well as two peptide families with potential utility in treating various forms of cancer.
For additional company information, please visit www.cohbar.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements that are not historical facts within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and other future conditions. In some cases you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “project,” “plan,” “expect,” “goal,” “seek,” “future,” “likely” or the negative or plural of these words or similar expressions. Examples of such forward-looking statements include but are not limited to statements regarding timing and anticipated outcomes of research and clinical trials for our mitochondria based therapeutic (MBT) candidates; expectations regarding the growth of MBTs as a significant future class of drug products; and statements regarding anticipated therapeutic properties and potential of our mitochondrial peptide analogs, MBTs and other potential therapies. You are cautioned that such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual results or developments may differ materially from those set forth in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include: our ability to successfully advance drug discovery and development programs, including the delay or termination of ongoing clinical trials and the timing of announcements and updates relating to our clinical trials and related data; our possible inability to mitigate the prevalence and/or persistence of the injection site reactions, receipt of unfavorable feedback from regulators regarding the safety or tolerability of CB4211 or the possibility of other developments affecting the viability of CB4211 or CB5138-3 as a clinical candidate or its commercial potential; results that are different from earlier data results including less favorable results that may not support further clinical development; our ability to raise additional capital when necessary to continue our operations; our ability to recruit and retain key management and scientific personnel; the risk that our intellectual property may not be adequately protected; our ability to establish and maintain partnerships with corporate and industry partners; and risks related to the impact on our business of the COVID-19 pandemic or similar public health crises. Additional assumptions, risks and uncertainties are described in detail in our registration statements, reports and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and applicable Canadian securities regulators, which are available on our website, and at www.sec.gov or www.sedar.com. You are cautioned that such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that our actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements and other information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and CohBar does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. Nothing herein shall constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities.
Contacts:
Jordyn Tarazi
Director of Investor Relations
CohBar, Inc.
(650) 445-4441
Jordyn.tarazi@cohbar.com
Media:
Nancy Thompson
Vorticom, Inc.
(212)532-2208
Nancyt@vorticom.com
