Thomas Hecht to Chair Orion Biotechnology's Board of Directors

OTTAWA, Ontario, November 12, 2019 (Newswire.com) - ​​Orion Biotechnology Canada Ltd. today announced that Dr. Thomas Hecht has been appointed Chairman of its Board of Directors. Dr. Hecht brings extensive expertise in leading value creation processes for stakeholders across the full value chain as well as deal-making with large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. In his new position, he will also use his experience as Chairman of a number of active and previous Boards; he currently serves as Chairman of the supervisory board at Affimed N.V., Aelix Therapeutics S.L. and Vaximm AG and as a member of the Board of Directors of Cellmedica Ltd. Dr. Hecht held various positions at Amgen between 1989 and 2002, including Head of Medical Affairs and Vice President Marketing at Amgen Europe. He is also head of Hecht Healthcare Consulting in Küssnacht, Switzerland, a biopharmaceutical consulting company.

“Orion Biotechnology is honored to welcome this exceptional leader as Chair of our Board of Directors,” said Mark Groper, President and CEO, Orion Biotechnology. “​Thomas’s long and distinguished career, having decades of leadership in the development and delivery of new medicines, make him uniquely qualified to lead our Board at this pivotal moment in Orion’s growth. We are delighted that a biotech executive of such international stature will be leading our Board of Directors.”

“I’m excited to serve as Orion's new Chair of the Board of Directors," said Thomas Hecht. “The company’s immunotherapeutic programs are promising and unique in the industry. I look forward to continuing to work with Orion’s very talented leadership team to position the company for success.

Orion Biotechnology would like to extend sincere thanks to Rudolf Bom for his role as founding Chair. Mr. Bom will remain as a Director on the Board as well as Vice-Chair and will continue to provide the expertise and sound guidance that has been instrumental in the Company’s success to date.

About Orion Biotechnology Canada, Ltd.

Orion Biotechnology Canada Ltd. is a privately held pharmaceutical company leveraging advanced receptor pharmacology to develop novel therapies for serious chronic illnesses and life-threatening diseases. Since 2017, Orion Biotechnology has been developing a robust pipeline of first-in-class chemokine analogue drug candidates, including our lead candidate, OB-002 – a CCR5 receptor antagonist. Our close ties to diverse institutions and experts around the globe, as well as our proprietary drug discovery platform, continue to stimulate the rapid discovery of promising new treatments. Learn more at www.orionbiotechnology.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information, which reflects Orion’s current expectations regarding future events. Forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Orion’s control, that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and, except as expressly required by applicable law, Orion assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contact:
Ross MacLeod
Orion Biotechnology Canada Ltd.
Phone: +1.343.291.1032
[email protected]

Source: Orion Biotechnology Canada