SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Biosciences meeting, Inc. (Nasdaq: ASMB), a clinical-stage biotechnology firm creating modern and experimental therapies focusing on hepatitis B virus (HBV) and different viral ailments, as we speak introduced that John G. McHutchison , AO, MD, Chief Govt Officer (CEO), will retire as CEO on the finish of 2022. Dr. McHutchison will proceed to serve on Meeting Bio’s Board of Administrators, together with assuming the position of Chairman of the Committee of science and know-how. Meeting Bio’s Board of Administrators unanimously elected Jason A. Okazaki, the corporate’s present President and Chief Working Officer (COO), as Chief Govt Officer and Board Member at when Dr. McHutchison retired.
“Since becoming a member of the corporate in 2020, Jason has been instrumental in shaping our long-term technique and overseeing our partnership, funding, investor relations, authorized efforts and, over the previous yr, our operations as COO,” mentioned Dr. McHutchison. “Jason is a extremely valued strategic associate to me and our Board of Administrators with an unparalleled mixture of business, operational, authorized and business expertise. In partnership with our administration workforce and myself, he has enabled Meeting Bio to broaden past central inhibition to complementary therapeutic mechanisms for HBV and different novel viral targets Jason’s strategic imaginative and prescient, management expertise and respect inside and outdoors of our group will enable us to proceed advancing the corporate’s mission to carry these new packages to sufferers in want.
“The Board of Administrators and I are grateful for the numerous progress Meeting Bio has made beneath John’s management,” mentioned William R. Ringo, Jr., Chairman of Meeting Bio’s Board of Administrators. “Making a world-class antiviral group, he and his workforce have made vital progress with our subsequent era of far more potent core inhibitors, and have developed the HBV/HDV entry inhibitor, HBV receptor agonist packages interferon-α, HSV and panherpes which have prolonged Meeting Bio’s attain past central inhibition and HBV.
Mr. Ringo continued, “Jason has demonstrated robust management and broad experience from the time he joined the group, and the Board is assured that he’s the proper particular person to succeed John as as CEO. We’re assured in Jason’s capacity to guide and associate with the corporate’s everlasting management workforce, notably with William Delaney, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, Nicole White, PhD, Chief Manufacturing Officer, and Michele Anderson, Director of Improvement, to advance Meeting Bio’s novel. packages. We’re additionally delighted that John stays firmly dedicated to the corporate and can proceed to carry his wealth of expertise and deep experience in virology to the long run success of Meeting Bio as a member of the Board of Administrators and Chairman of the Scientific Committee and technological. ”
Dr McHutchison added: “It has been a privilege to be CEO of Meeting Bio for the previous three years and to work with such a gifted and devoted workforce. It was a troublesome determination to step again given my excessive regard for our group and all that we are able to and can accomplish. I stay as assured within the position of the central inhibitory mechanism in finite and healing therapies for HBV as after I joined the group. And, in fact, I am actually excited concerning the potential of our new packages past fundamental inhibitors. With our potent next-generation core inhibitors, 3733 and 4334, advancing into and into the clinic, respectively, and lots of new preclinical packages accelerating towards candidate nomination, I consider Jason and the workforce will considerably advance the therapeutic space within the years to come back. I’m excited to proceed this journey and to remain near Jason and our business main workforce in my roles on the Board of Administrators. »
Mr. Okazaki mentioned, “It’s an honor to be named the subsequent CEO of Meeting Bio, and I’m grateful to John and the Board for his or her assist. I joined Meeting Bio to associate with John and our wonderful management workforce to develop a working remedy for HBV and create a various antiviral group. I’m excited to proceed this mission as we develop our next-generation core inhibitors within the clinic alongside our new discovery packages to deal with crucial areas of unmet medical want. It is an unbelievable alternative to drive significant scientific progress with an unparalleled workforce.
Mr. Okazaki joined Meeting Bio as Chief Authorized and Industrial Officer in 2020. In 2021, he was promoted to Chief Working Officer with an expanded focus that included duty for investor relations, amenities and know-how. ‘info. Earlier in 2022, he was elevated to President with duty for all company and administrative capabilities.
Previous to becoming a member of Meeting Bio, Mr. Okazaki was Senior Vice President, Authorized Secretary and Assistant Company Secretary at Gilead Sciences, Inc. Throughout his 14-year profession at Gilead, he led a worldwide authorized workforce supporting US operations. United States, Asia and Latin America, and has suggested on company governance and reporting issues for the USA Securities and Alternate Fee (SEC). Mr. Okazaki additionally led the structuring and authorized execution of Gilead’s acquisitions, strategic collaborations and licensing transactions. Beforehand, he was a senior associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP, within the agency’s M&A and company finance practices in New York and San Francisco.
Mr. Okazaki is Chairman of the Board of the Worldwide League of Conservation Photographers, a non-profit group of photographers and filmmakers from around the globe main conservation efforts by moral visible storytelling. He’s additionally a board member of the Stanford Drugs Heart for Asian Well being Analysis and Schooling, a non-profit group devoted to enhancing the well being of Asians by rising information, strengthening training and having a optimistic influence on their medical care.
Mr. Okazaki holds a bachelor’s diploma from Stanford College and a Juris Doctorate from UC Hastings School of the Legislation. He’s a member of the California and New York State Bars.
About Meeting Biosciences
Meeting Bio is a clinical-stage biotechnology firm pioneering the event of recent therapies for severe viral ailments. Meeting Bio is advancing a number one portfolio of stronger next-generation core inhibitor drug candidates that intention to interrupt the complicated viral replication cycle of hepatitis B virus (HBV) to realize finite and probably healing therapies for the 296 million folks residing with HBV worldwide. The Firm’s analysis pipeline contains differentiated antiviral approaches towards HBV/hepatitis delta virus and herpes viruses. For extra info, go to assemblybio.com.
Ahead-looking statements
The knowledge on this press launch accommodates forward-looking statements topic to sure dangers and uncertainties that would trigger precise outcomes to vary materially. These dangers and uncertainties embody: Meeting Bio’s capacity to efficiently execute its reprioritization and restructuring actions, together with the transition of the CEO; potential adversarial authorized, reputational, operational and monetary results on Meeting Bio ensuing from reprioritization and restructuring actions; Meeting Bio’s capacity to provoke and full medical research involving its therapeutic product candidates, together with research contemplated by Meeting Bio’s collaborative agreements, throughout the presently anticipated timelines; security and efficacy knowledge from medical research might not assist additional improvement of Meeting Bio’s product candidates; medical and nonclinical knowledge offered at conferences might not differentiate Meeting Bio’s product candidates from candidates of different firms; outcomes from non-clinical research might not be consultant of illness habits in a medical setting and might not be predictive of outcomes from medical research; the continued improvement and commercialization of ABI-H3733, if profitable, in China will depend upon and be topic to Meeting Bio’s collaboration settlement governing such exercise in China; Meeting Bio’s capacity to keep up the monetary assets essential to pursue its medical research and fund its business actions; any influence the COVID-19 pandemic might have on Meeting Bio’s enterprise and operations, together with the initiation, recruitment and continuation of its medical research or the timing of discussions with regulatory authorities; and different dangers recognized sometimes in Meeting Bio’s experiences filed with the US Securities and Alternate Fee (the SEC). You might be urged to think about statements that embody the phrases might, will, may, ought to, consider, hope, estimate, mission, potential, count on, plan, anticipate, intend, proceed, foresee , meant, goal, or the damaging of those or different comparable phrases as unsure and forward-looking. Meeting Bio intends these forward-looking statements to be lined by the secure harbor provisions contained in Part 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Part 21E of the Securities Alternate Act of 1934, as amended. Additional details about Meeting Bio’s dangers and uncertainties is additional detailed beneath “Danger Elements” in Meeting Bio’s filings with the SEC, together with its most up-to-date Annual Report on Kind 10-Okay, its quarterly experiences on Kind 10-Q and its present experiences on Kind 8-Okay. Besides as required by regulation, Meeting Bio undertakes no obligation to publicly replace any forward-looking statements, whether or not on account of new info, future occasions or in any other case.
contacts
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(415) 738-2992
[email protected]
Media:
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Hannah Hurdle
(805) 338-4752
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