お知らせ • Jan 02
Galera Therapeutics Announces Board Changes
On December 30, 2024, Galera Therapeutics, Inc. acquired Nova Pharmaceuticals, Inc., in accordance with the terms of the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated December 30, 2024 (the Merger Agreement), by and among Galera, Grape Merger Sub I, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Galera (First Merger Sub), Grape Merger Sub II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly owned subsidiary of Galera (Second Merger Sub), and Nova. Galera Therapeutics, Inc. announced board of directors includes three current Galera board members, Mr. Larry Alleva and Mr. Kevin Lokay and Dr. Sorensen, and two additional board members selected by Nova, Mr. Michael Friedman and Dr. Nancy T. Chang. Mr. Friedman has an MBA from the University of Chicago and brings over 20 years’ experience in investment banking, in finance and in the life science industry to the Board of Galera. Dr. Chang is a PhD biochemist who has spent her career in leadership roles in academia, in large and small pharma companies and in the venture capital world and she has extensive experience in biopharma boards. Nancy Chang and Michael Friedman were appointed as members of the Board as Class I directors. None of the Director Appointees have been appointed to any committee of the Board. Dr. Nancy Chang, Ph.D. (Age 75) has been appointed to serve on the Board as a Class I director effective as of December 30, 2024. She completed her undergraduate studies at Taiwan National Tsing Hua University and attended the Ph. D. program at the Division of Medical Sciences at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Chang joined the founding team at Centocor, where she served as director of research and worked on the development of monoclonal antibody as therapeutics and to the HIV field including the development of the first HIV diagnosis assay. In 1986, Dr. Chang joined Baylor College of Medicine, where she served as Associate Professor of Virology until 1991. During this tenure, Dr. Chang co-founded Tanox, a company that focused on the treatment of immunological diseases including allergy, asthma, and inflammation by using antibodies as a therapeutic agent. From 1995 to 2000, Dr. Chang also served on the Texas Higher Education Coordinate Board under Governor George W. Bush. After 2007, Dr. Chang led OrbiMed's Asia fund as the chairman, founder and senior managing director. She served on the board of directors for various institutes including the Federal Reserve Bank in Houston, BioHouston, Biotechnology Innovation Organization (Bio), Charles River Laboratories, and several biotech companies. Currently, Dr. Chang serves as an advisor to ViRx at Stanford and to Baylor College of Medicine and as president of the Tang Family Foundation. Michael Friedman (Age 47) has been appointed to serve on the Board as a Class I director effective as of December 30, 2024. Mr. Friedman is a principal and executive in residence at Emerald Bioventures, LLC (Emerald"), a life science incubator and venture capital firm. At Emerald, Mr. Friedman handles company formation, corporate finance and operations within the portfolio. Mr. Friedman has over 20 years of investment banking experience, specializing in healthcare mergers and acquisitions, leveraged finance and capital markets at firms such as Bank of America Corporation, Merrill Lynch, Jefferies and Ladenburg. Mr. Friedman has worked on venture rounds, private investment in public equity transactions, licensing transactions, sell-side and buy-side mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, debt financings, asset sales and divestitures. Mr. Friedman has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin. Mr. Friedman previously served on the board of Akari Therapeutics Plc (formerly known as Peak Bio). In accordance with the Merger Agreement, on December 30, 2024, Michael Powell, Ph.D. (Class I director), Linda West (Class I director) and Emmett Cunningham, M.D., Ph.D. (Class III director) resigned from the Board (collectively, the Resignations"), effective immediately after the time of the filing of the First Merger Certificate of Merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware (the First Effective Time"). None of the Resignations were the result, in whole or in part, of any disagreement with Galera or its management relating to Galera's operations, policies or practices.