SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aiolos Bio, Inc., (“Aiolos” or “the Company) a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on addressing the unmet treatment needs of patients with respiratory and inflammatory conditions, today announced the appointments of René van der Merwe, MBChB, as Chief Medical Officer, and Tapan Maniar, Ph.D. as Chief Business Officer.
“We are delighted to welcome René and Tapan as key members of our leadership team at this exciting time for the Company as we prepare to initiate a Phase 2 clinical trial for our lead drug candidate, AIO-001, in moderate-to-severe asthma patients,” said Khurem Farooq, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Aiolos Bio. “René’s over 20 years of clinical development experience and deep respiratory expertise will be instrumental in supporting the advancement of our innovative lead therapy and furthering the Company’s mission of helping patients and their caregivers breathe easier. Likewise, Tapan’s strategic acumen and diverse skill set across business development, M&A, and capital formation will serve Aiolos well as we continue to build out our operations.”
Dr. van der Merwe brings more than two decades of R&D experience to Aiolos Bio, having led global development programs for multiple approved asthma biologics. She served as Vice President of Respiratory Development at AstraZeneca’s biologics division, MedImmune, where she was Clinical Program lead for tezepelumab and benralizumab in asthma, COPD, and atopic dermatitis. Previously, Dr. van der Merwe held roles as Senior Vice President of Global Clinical Development at DBV Technologies and most recently served as Chief Medical Officer and Head of Clinical Development at Galvani Bioelectronics, a collaboration between GSK and Verily Lifesciences.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the talented team at Aiolos Bio,” said Dr. Van der Merwe. “The opportunity to lead the development of this potentially best-in-class asset across multiple indications and bring real relief to patients and caregivers alike is truly exciting.” She added that one of the elements that attracted her to Aiolos was the mature state of the development program for AIO-001. “AIO-001 has been tested in healthy volunteers and moderate-to-severe asthmatics in multiple Phase 1 studies and it looks to be well tolerated, in addition to exhibiting an impressive pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) profile sustained through 24 weeks. We look forward to presenting and publishing data in 2024.” Dr. Van der Merwe will join Aiolos Bio effective January 2,2024.
Dr. Maniar brings a wealth of leadership experience across business development, operations, and strategic planning. He joins Aiolos Bio from Bain Capital Life Sciences where he led and managed investments across therapeutic areas. Previously, Dr. Maniar served as Genentech’s head of business development for technology platforms, where he worked closely with senior leaders of the R&D and commercial teams. Prior to Genentech, he was an Engagement Manager in McKinsey & Company’s healthcare practice, specializing on topics including portfolio strategy and business development. Dr. Maniar earned his Ph.D. in Neuroscience at The Rockefeller University.
“I’m excited to join Khurem and the Aiolos team on this important mission and for the unique opportunity to help shape the early direction of the company and support the development of AIO-001,” said Dr. Maniar. “With the support of an exceptional investor syndicate we are well positioned to advance a best-in-class pipeline and are committed to delivering meaningful change for patients struggling with asthma and other immune disorders.”
Aiolos Bio launched in October 2023 with a $245 million Series A investment co-led by Atlas Venture, Bain Capital Life Sciences, Forbion, and Sofinnova Investments with additional investment from RA Capital Management to advance AIO-001 into a Phase 2 clinical trial in moderate-to-severe asthma patients.
About AIO-001
The Company’s lead asset, AIO-001, is a monoclonal antibody that binds and blocks a clinically validated target protein known as thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP). TSLP has a central role in driving inflammation, including in asthma. Inhibition of the TSLP ligand is the only biological approach that has demonstrated clinical benefit for moderate-to-severe asthma patients regardless of endotype. AIO-001 is currently in development for moderate-to-severe asthma and it has the potential to be administered only twice per year attributed to its differentiated potency and long half-life.
AIO-001 was originally developed through early clinical stages by Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd, who retains commercialization rights to the greater China market.
About Aiolos Bio
Aiolos Bio is committed to helping patients breathe easier as we look to reimagine treatment for patients with respiratory and inflammatory diseases. Our lead drug candidate is AIO-001, a humanized, anti-TSLP mAb in development for moderate-to-severe asthma. Our team has a long history of successful drug development in respiratory and immunological diseases – collectively amassing more than 30 FDA approvals – and seeks to leverage this expertise to meet
the considerable unmet need that still exists for patients living with asthma around the world. For more information, please visit www.aiolosbio.com.
