WATERTOWN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Entact Bio, the pioneer of precision medicines that enhance the function of beneficial proteins, today announced the appointment of Michael Gutch, Ph.D., as Chief Operating Officer. Dr. Gutch joins Entact with more than two decades of experience in the life sciences industry, including prominent leadership roles with global pharmaceutical companies, clinical-stage biotechs, and life-science-focused venture capital firms.
“Mike has a remarkable wealth of experience across the life sciences ecosystem, giving him deep pharma and biotech operations, finance, and business development expertise that spans development and strategy, complex financings and transactions, and investor relations,” said Entact Bio CEO Victoria Richon, Ph.D. “We are excited to welcome Mike to our leadership team and look forward to working with him to grow Entact’s operations and shepherd our targeted protein enhancing drugs toward the clinic and, ultimately, into the hands of the patients who need them most.”
Dr. Gutch joins Entact from Noema Pharma AG, a clinical-stage biotech company targeting central nervous systems disorders. As Noema’s Chief Financial Officer, he led all finance and business development activities. “I am thrilled to join the Entact team at this important juncture in its evolution,” said Dr. Gutch. “It is an incredible opportunity to join a company pioneering an entirely new small-molecule modality with vast potential to treat historically undruggable diseases. I look forward to working with such a renowned team of drug discovery experts in the continued advancement of our groundbreaking protein enhancement platform and therapeutic programs.”
Previously, Dr. Gutch served as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Business Officer for Entasis Therapeutics, where he helped guide the company’s private financing rounds, led its successful IPO, and established strategic partnerships for its two lead programs. Prior to Entasis, he was the Executive Director, Corporate Development, and Head of Equities for AstraZeneca, where he co-led the divestment of its commercial and late-stage clinical antibiotic portfolio to Pfizer for $1.575 billion plus royalties.
Earlier in his career Dr. Gutch worked in venture capital investment, serving as Managing Director at MedImmune Ventures, the corporate venture arm of AstraZeneca, and Investment Director of HIG BioVentures at the private equity firm HIG Capital. Dr. Gutch received his BA from Alfred University, earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Pathology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and an MBA in Finance from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.
About Entact Bio
Entact Bio is developing a novel class of precision medicines that enhance the function of beneficial proteins. Launched by a founding team deeply rooted in deubiquitinase (DUB) biochemistry, chemical biology, disease biology, and small-molecule drug development, Entact has built its proprietary Encompass™ platform to create enhancement-targeting chimeric (ENTAC™) medicines. ENTACs leverage the natural ability of DUBs to regulate and enhance protein function. By harnessing the power of DUBs, Entact is expanding the universe of treatable diseases and creating new options for patients who are underserved by current therapeutic modalities. For more information, visit entactbio.com.
