Release Details

PARIS, France, July 11, 2023 – 6:00 p.m. (CEST) – Abivax SA (Euronext Paris: FR0012333284 – ABVX), a Phase 3 clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing therapeutics that modulate the immune system to treat patients with chronic inflammatory diseases, announces today the appointment of June Lee, M.D. and  Troy Ignelzi as new independent members of the Abivax Board of Directors. June Lee and Troy Ignelzi replace Joy Amundson and Jean-Jacques Bertrand, who have resigned from their positions as members of the Board of Directors.

Marc de Garidel, CEO of Abivax, said: “I am glad to welcome June Lee and Troy Ignelzi as new Abivax Board members. As we advance our Phase 3 program with obefazimod in ulcerative colitis, their extensive expertise in late-stage development, product commercialization and financing will be precious for the company to successfully execute on our strategic priorities. On behalf of the entire team, I would also like to warmly thank Joy Amundson and Jean-Jacques Bertrand for their longstanding commitment and contribution. We are now very much looking forward to continuing our work with June and Troy and to benefit from their vast experience in the biopharma industry.”

June Lee, M.D., new member of the Abivax Board and Chair of the Recruitment and Remuneration Committee, added: “I am excited to join the Abivax Board and I am impressed by the accomplishments and the clinical results generated so far with obefazimod. Together with the team, we will continue our efforts to further advance this promising drug candidate towards the market for the benefit of all the patients suffering from inflammatory conditions.”

Troy Ignelzi, new member of the Abivax Board and Chair of the Audit Committee, commented: “I look forward to working alongside my fellow Board members and the talented Abivax team as we continue to build a compelling company story going forward. I am eager to leverage my knowledge and experience to help enable Abivax to successfully realize its full potential in the discovery, development and commercialization of novel and long-term efficient treatments against chronic inflammatory diseases.”

In the frame of the new appointments, the composition of the Board’s committees has been reviewed. The Audit Committee is comprised of three members: Troy Ignelzi (Chair), Corinna zur Bonsen-Thomas and Sofinnova Partners (represented by Kinam Hong). The Recruitment and Remuneration Committee is comprised of four members: June Lee (Chair), Corinna zur Bonsen-Thomas, Truffle Capital (represented by Philippe Pouletty) and Sofinnova Partners (represented by Kinam Hong).

About June Lee, M.D.

June H. Lee, M.D. FACCP, is currently a Venture Partner at 5AM Ventures. Dr. Lee is a physician-scientist with over 20 years in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. Most recently, she was a Founder and CEO of Esker Therapeutics. She previously served as Executive Vice President, Chief Development Officer and Chief Operating Officer of MyoKardia where she built and led a world-class development organization that was acquired by Bristol Myers Squibb for USD 13.1 billion in November 2020. The lead program at MyoKardia, mavacamten, was recently approved by the FDA for use in obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients as the first precision therapy in this indication. Prior to MyoKardia, Dr. Lee was a Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, where she served as Director of Translational Research and built the Catalyst Program, an internal accelerator for early-stage technologies. As the therapeutic area head at Genentech, Dr. Lee led early clinical development programs in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, infectious diseases, and respiratory diseases. Dr. Lee serves on numerous boards in the healthcare industry including the Board of Directors for Tenaya Therapeutics, Eledon Pharmaceuticals Inc. and GenEdit, and is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for Foresite Labs. Dr. Lee has also served on the Advisory Board for Johns Hopkins University Center for Therapeutic Translation, and on the Board of Directors for CinCor Therapeutics, which was acquired by AstraZeneca for up to USD 1.8 billion in the first quarter of 2023.  Dr. Lee received her undergraduate degree in chemistry at the Johns Hopkins University, earned her medical degree at the School of Medicine at University of California, Davis, and completed her clinical training in internal medicine and pulmonary and critical care at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Dr. Lee is based in the San Francisco, CA office.

About Troy Ignelzi

Troy Ignelzi has extensive experience leading emerging and rapidly growing biopharmaceutical company finance and operations, including raising capital and building high-performing teams. He currently serves as the CFO of Karuna Therapeutics, where he is responsible for finance, including business support planning for the company’s R&D and commercial preparation. In this role, Mr. Ignelzi has led Karuna’s private and public financings, including multiple securities offerings, and developed the financial and operational business support infrastructure required for a public company. Before joining Karuna, Mr. Ignelzi was similarly successful at two other emerging biopharmaceutical companies, Esperion Therapeutics and scPharmaceuticals, where he led multiple private and public financings and developed the financial infrastructure and development strategies to support a public company and ensure long-term financial health. Earlier in his career, Mr. Ignelzi served in a variety of positions, including finance, business development and strategic planning, at Pharmalex, scPharmaceuticals, and Insys Therapeutics, as well as sales at Eli Lilly & Co. Mr. Ignelzi currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Vedanta Biosciences and previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of CinCor Pharma (acquired by AstraZeneca). He earned his B.S. in Accounting at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan, U.S.

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About Abivax (www.abivax.com)

Abivax is a Phase 3 clinical stage biotechnology company, focused on developing therapeutics that modulate the immune system to treat patients with chronic inflammatory diseases. Abivax, founded by Truffle Capital, is listed on Euronext compartment B (ISIN: FR0012333284 – Mnémo: ABVX). Based in Paris and Montpellier, Abivax’s lead drug candidate, obefazimod (ABX464), is in Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. More information on the Company is available at www.abivax.com. Follow us on Twitter @ABIVAX_.

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