PRESS RELEASE
FundaMental Pharma Appoints
Industry Veteran Dr. Lorenz Mayr as Non-Executive Director
Appointment underscores FundaMental’s ambition to develop medicines for neurodegenerative diseases based on a breakthrough molecular mechanism
Heidelberg, GERMANY, 20 March 2024 - FundaMental Pharma GmbH, a neuroscience company developing first-in-class small molecule inhibitors for the treatment of a range of neurodegenerative diseases, announced today the appointment of Dr. Lorenz Mayr to its Board of Directors.
Lorenz is a highly respected biopharmaceutical executive with extensive experience over the last 30 years in drug discovery, technology and innovation, business growth and financing strategy.
He currently serves on the Board of Directors at Phoremost (Cambridge, UK), Mogrify (Cambridge, UK), InCephalo (Basel, Switzerland), the Scientific Advisory Board of Fraunhofer IGB & IPA (Stuttgart, Germany), Fraunhofer IZI (Leipzig, Germany) and SaxoCell (Leipzig), The Francis Crick Institute (London, UK), Medicines Discovery Catapult (Alderley Park, UK), LenioBio (Düsseldorf, Germany), SensibleBio (Oxford, UK), and works as Senior Healthcare Advisor to EQT Investments (Stockholm/Sweden).
Most recently, Lorenz was CEO of Vector BioPharma (Basel, Switzerland). He has held various other senior executive roles in companies such as Bayer, Novartis, AstraZeneca, GE Healthcare and Syncona. Previously, he was Chief Technology Officer at GE Healthcare Life Sciences, where he was responsible for R&D strategy and innovation across all life sciences business areas. Lorenz has extensive global experience in pharmaceutical R&D, including positions as Vice President & Global Head at AstraZeneca and Executive Director at Novartis and Bayer Pharmaceuticals. Lorenz obtained a Ph.D. in Biochemistry & Biophysics at University of Bayreuth in 1993 and went on to pursue a Postdoc at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1993-1995.
Keno Gutierrez, Chairman of the Board of FundaMental Pharma, commented: “We are excited to share that Lorenz, a seasoned and highly regarded industry leader, has joined our Board of Directors. With a proven track record in drug discovery, his expertise underscores BGV’s steadfast commitment to tackling the unmet challenges faced by patients battling neurodegenerative diseases.”
Lorenz Mayr, Non-Executive Director at FundaMental Pharma, commented: “FundaMental Pharma is pioneering the development of medicines using a breakthrough molecular mechanism that safely block glutamate excitotoxicity. This new science is poised to improve the lives of patients living with neurodegenerative diseases and I am pleased to join the company at such an exciting phase in its journey.”
Thomas Schulze, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of FundaMental Pharma, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Lorenz at this crucial juncture in the company's journey as he brings both a wealth of scientific and business expertise to the board. I am confident that Lorenz`s energy, conceptual guidance and reach will make a difference in advancing FundaMental Pharma`s key program to the next level.”
END
For further information, please contact:
FundaMental Pharma GmbH
Dr. Thomas Schulze, CEO
Email: thomas.schulze@fundamentalpharma.com
ICR Consilium (Media)
Ashley Tapp, Jack Bissett
Tel: +44 (0) 20 3709 5700
Email: fundamentalpharma@consilium-comms.com
FundaMental Pharma GmbH
FundaMental Pharma (“FundaMental”) is a neuroscience company, spun out of Heidelberg University, developing first-in-class small molecule inhibitors for treatment of a range of neurodegenerative diseases. FundaMental scientists are engaged in pioneering research around a breakthrough molecular mechanism that allows to safely counteract glutamate excitotoxicity by specifically targeting the interface between N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and TRPM4 (a calcium-activated nonselective cation channel) receptors with small molecule Twin F interface inhibitors (Yan, J., et al., Science, 2020). Twin F interface inhibitors constitute an entirely new class of drugs that safely ameliorate glutamate excitotoxicity, a common cause of neurodegeneration. FundaMental Pharma is a privately held company financed by a renowned syndicate of investors. For more information, please visit www.fundamentalpharma.com.
