ReAlta Life Sciences Inc. (“ReAlta” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on safely targeting neutrophils and central components of the complement system to revolutionize the treatment of inflammatory disorders, today announced the appointment of Howard Berman, Ph.D., as Executive Chairman of the ReAlta Life Sciences Board of Directors, effective immediately.
“We are delighted to welcome Howard to ReAlta at a pivotal moment for the Company as we move towards meaningful catalysts,” said Kenji Cunnion, M.D., MPH, Co-Founder, Chief Medical Officer and Board Member of ReAlta. “His proven track record in advancing innovative immunology-based therapies and creating value, positions ReAlta for disciplined growth and leadership in rare and inflammatory diseases. We are confident he will help us deliver on the potential of pegtarazimod.”
“I am honored to join ReAlta and lead this talented team as we work to deliver transformative medicines for patients with urgent inflammatory conditions,” Dr. Berman commented. “ReAlta’s peptide platform represents a truly remarkable foundation, translating a naturally occurring immune-regulation mechanism from the human astrovirus into a first-in-class therapeutic approach. This directly addresses the long-standing industry challenge of modulating both complement and neutrophil-driven inflammation. The compelling clinical data and favorable safety profile observed to date in three life-threatening diseases with high unmet need reinforce the significant potential of pegtarazimod. This novel mechanism also creates a scalable path to explore multiple acute and chronic inflammatory indications. I look forward to advancing our clinical programs and pursuing strategic opportunities to unlock meaningful benefits for all stakeholders.”
Dr. Berman brings more than 20 years of biopharmaceutical industry leadership experience that spans company formation, clinical development, strategic partnerships, and public market execution across multiple therapeutic areas, including immunology and neuroscience. Prior to ReAlta, Dr. Berman was Chief Executive Officer of Coya Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: COYA), a regulatory T cell therapeutics-focused company that he founded and for which he continues to serve as Executive Chairman. Under his leadership, Coya has advanced multiple clinical programs in neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). He also currently serves on the board of directors at Atea Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:AVIR). Earlier in his career, Dr. Berman held senior leadership roles at AbbVie, Eli Lilly, and Novartis, where he contributed to the commercial launches of several blockbuster therapies in oncology and immunology. Dr. Berman holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in neuroscience and pharmacology.
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