Leiden, The Netherlands, April 22, 2021 – Anavo Therapeutics, a global leader in unlocking the full therapeutic potential of human phosphatase biology, debuted today with a EUR 20 million (approx. $24 million) seed financing. Anavo’s mission is to pioneer systematic drug discovery and development approaches aimed at phosphatases, a rich and largely untapped therapeutic target class. The funds will be used to advance a proprietary drug discovery portfolio in oncology and establish a versatile and robust platform to address the target space broadly across multiple indications. Anavo’s leadership team, Dr. Birgit Zech and Dr. Gerhard Müller, are building on several years of joint experience in the biopharmaceutical industry and have demonstrated the ability to navigate rapidly emerging sectors in biopharma most recently as co-founders of Gotham Therapeutics. The founding team is further complemented by Claus Schalper, a renowned finance expert and serial biotech entrepreneur. 

Phosphatases and kinases regulate the activity of numerous crucial signaling pathways by removing or adding a phosphate group from proteins or other biomolecules. Imbalances in this process can lead to a multitude of diseases. While kinases have been exploited by drug developers worldwide, phosphatases stayed largely untouched after setbacks earlier in this century. 

 Anavo’s approach focuses on combining profound understanding of phosphatase biology with deep drug discovery expertise and state-of-the-art technologies to design first-in-class and best-in-class small molecule modulators of phosphatase activity. The company has attracted world-leading phosphatase biology expertise to its advisory board in Mathieu Bollen, Professor of Molecular Cell Biology at University of Leuven, and Nicholas Tonks, Professor of Cancer Research at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Taken together, both have authored and co-authored more than 500 scientific publications on phosphatases and related physiological processes.

“Anavo was founded to unlock the full potential of phosphatase-targeting allosteric modulators and has attracted one of the largest European biotech seed rounds to date.  Recent progress especially around SHP2 has demonstrated that the time is ripe to address phosphatase drug discovery more systematically and on a much larger scale,” said Dr. Birgit Zech, Chief Executive Officer of Anavo Therapeutics. “With Mathieu Bollen and Nicholas Tonks as our initial scientific advisory board members, we have attracted two world-leading scientists in phosphatase biology which complements our deep drug discovery know-how.”

“Academic research on the human phosphatome has moved way ahead of the industry and we are now sitting on a real treasure trove of potential therapeutic avenues to explore, targets to validate, and programs worth translating into preclinical and clinical evaluation,” said Dr. Gerhard Müller, Chief Scientific Officer of Anavo Therapeutics. “Among all target classes currently defined as ‘undruggable’, we expect phosphatases to have the deepest and most profound impact on clinical outcomes once addressed in a systematic and coherent fashion.”

Therese Liechtenstein, Principal at M Ventures, added: “Anavo’s novel approach and its experienced management team provide us with the best tools and key ingredients to address challenges in phosphatase drug discovery, and unlock this rich target class. We are excited to be part of Anavo and their mission.” 

Simone Botti, Junior Partner at INKEF Capital, added: “The progress that has been made with SHP2 in our industry has revived the phosphatase sector but is only scratching the surface of this largely untapped attractive molecular target class. We are very pleased to support Anavo, a company poised to deliver first-in-class therapeutics in oncology and establish itself as a world leader in phosphatase drug discovery.”

Therese Liechtenstein and Simone Botti will be joined by Sakae Asanuma, President and CEO of Taiho Ventures, and Debora Dumont, Managing Partner at Bioqube Ventures, on Anavo’s Board of Directors.

About Anavo Therapeutics:
Anavo Therapeutics is the first company to systematically drug phosphatases, a rich target space previously considered undruggable for decades. We have attracted world-leading scientific expertise in phosphatase-driven disease biology and drug discovery to unlock the full potential of phosphatase-targeted allosteric modulators. In oncology, Anavo is developing multiple first-in-class therapeutic programs and will build on partnerships around its platform to establish a rich pipeline across several indications. Anavo is backed by blue-chip investors M Ventures, INKEF Capital, Taiho Ventures and Bioqube Ventures. For more information, please visit: www.anavotx.com.

About M Ventures:
M Ventures is the strategic, corporate venture capital arm of Merck. Its mandate is to invest in innovative technologies and products with the potential to significantly impact the company’s core business areas. From its headquarters in Amsterdam and offices in the US and Israel, M Ventures invests globally in transformational ideas driven by great entrepreneurs. M Ventures takes an active role in its portfolio companies and teams up with entrepreneurs and co-investors to translate innovation towards commercial success. M Ventures has a significant focus on early stage investing and company creation including the creation of spin-offs to leverage the company’s science and technology base. For more information, visit www.m-ventures.com.

About INKEF Capital:
INKEF Capital is a venture capital firm based in Amsterdam, backing promising early-stage companies in Europe. INKEF takes pride in being a patient, long-term investor with the ability to support companies through several rounds of funding. From the early stages of a technology or life science venture, INKEF Capital supports entrepreneurs building their ideas into successful international businesses. For more information, please visit: https://www.inkefcapital.com/.

About Taiho Ventures:
Taiho Ventures, LLC is the corporate venture arm of Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., a Japanese specialty pharmaceutical company focusing on oncology, allergy and immunology, and urology. With $300M under management, Taiho Ventures is actively investing in early-stage private companies strategically relevant to Taiho Pharmaceutical. The firm considers company creation, spinouts and the option-type of investments as well as pure equity investments. For more information, visit https://taihoventures.com/.

About Bioqube Ventures:
Bioqube Ventures NV is a specialist life sciences investment firm with Managing Partners Debora Dumont, Dirk Reyn and Nico Vandervelpen. The firm was founded by Debora Dumont and Nico Vandervelpen in 2016 and has seen its team grow to 10 people over the past years. Bioqube Ventures’ team today consists of a mix of investment managers, sector experts and serial entrepreneurs that have a proven track record in successfully building and leading companies on their growth paths. 

Leveraging on the team’s experience, Bioqube Ventures enables early-stage life sciences companies to maximize their full potential. Bioqube Ventures recognizes the value of industry guidance and has therefore set up strategic relationships with a selected number of industry partners with complementary skills.

Bioqube Ventures NV launched Bioqube Factory Fund I in May 2020 with a clear focus on therapeutics. Through a diversified investment strategy, including de-risking projects in a “Create” stage, the Fund will exclusively invest in the most promising innovative science in Europe and will put its expertise at work to ensure its portfolio flourishes. For more information, please visit: https://www.bioqubeventures.com/.

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Leiden, The Netherlands, June 24, 2021 – Anavo Therapeutics, a global leader in unlocking the full therapeutic potential of human phosphatase biology, today announced three key appointments to its Scientific Advisory Board in the persons of Karl-Heinz Altmann, currently Full Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at ETH Zurich and Head of the Department of Chemistry & Applied Biosciences, Andrew Mortlock, currently head of AstraZeneca’s hematology portfolio and Chief Scientific Officer of Acerta Pharma, and Gregg Siegal, currently Chief Executive Officer of ZoBio and Endowed Professor of Science, Chemistry & Pharmaceutical Sciences at VU Amsterdam.

The SAB will work closely with Anavo’s leadership team to develop its proprietary drug discovery portfolio in oncology and establish a versatile and robust platform to address the phosphatase therapeutic target class broadly across multiple indications.

The three new SAB board members complement the initial SAB consisting of Mathieu Bollen, Professor of Molecular Cell Biology at University of Leuven and Nicholas Tonks, Professor of Cancer Research at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

“We are honored to officially welcome these distinguished scientific leaders with extensive oncology and drug discovery expertise to broaden the guidance of Anavo’s SAB on top of the leading phosphatase expertise provided through Dr. Bollen and Dr. Tonks,” said Dr. Gerhard Müller, Chief Scientific Officer of Anavo Therapeutics. “Anavo’s mission is to pioneer the systematic drug discovery and development approaches aimed at phosphatases and the accumulated industry knowledge and clinical experience of this SAB will undoubtedly aid us in fulfilling this mission.”

Dr. Karl-Heinz Altmann serves as Full Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at ETH Zurich, and he is also the current Head of the Department of Chemistry & Applied Biosciences at ETH Zurich. Prior to re-joining academia at ETH Zurich in 2003, Prof. Altmann gained 13 years of industry experience as a chemist and group leader at Ciba-Geigy and Novartis Pharma. In 2000, he was appointed Senior Chemistry Expert of Novartis Pharma Research. Later, he became acting Global Head of Chemistry at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR). Currently at ETH Zurich, his research group centers on the chemical synthesis of pharmaceutically relevant natural products and their biological evaluation, with a particular focus on leads for anticancer and antituberculosis drug discovery. In 2017, he co-founded Tolremo Therapeutics AG and was previously awarded the Paul Ehrlich Prize of the Société de Chimie Thérapeutique, France, in 2014. He received his PhD in peptide chemistry from the University of Basel.

Dr. Andrew Mortlock leads the hematology portfolio at AstraZeneca while also serving as Chief Scientific Officer for member company Acerta Pharma, which developed Acalabrutinib for CLL and NHL. He joined the chemistry group at AstraZeneca in 1992 after completing post-doctoral work at the University of California, Berkeley, and subsequently led the Chemistry team that developed the selective Aurora B kinase inhibitor AZD1152. After working as Product Team Leader in the Early Development group, he became the leader of the Alderley Park/Reims Research group, delivering multiple clinical candidates into development in addition to starting a range of earlier projects, including AZD9291 (Osimertinib). From 2010 on, Andrew held responsibility for the global small molecule oncology portfolio through Phase II and became CSO for Acerta in 2016. After overseeing the development of AstraZeneca’s oncology combination strategy, Andrew transitioned to his current role leading its hematology portfolio, bringing his wealth of medicinal chemistry and global development experience. He earned his PhD in organic synthesis from the University of Oxford.

Dr. Gregg Siegal founded and currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of ZoBio, in addition to being an Endowed Professor of Science, Chemistry & Pharmaceutical Sciences at VU Amsterdam. He moved to Leiden University in 1997 where he received a Dutch Royal Society Fellowship to form his own research group. His research interest focused on the continuous development, refinement and application of novel drug discovery technologies that aid in the discovery and mechanistic profiling of best-possible chemical matter. Based on technology developed in his lab, he spun out ZoBio to bring it to the commercial sphere. He has led ZoBio since its inception in 2004 and more recently accepted an academic position at the Free University Amsterdam. He obtained his PhD in eukaryotic DNA replication at the University of Rochester, USA.

About Anavo Therapeutics
Anavo Therapeutics is the first company to systematically drug phosphatases, a rich target space previously considered undruggable for decades. We have attracted world-leading scientific expertise in phosphatase-driven disease biology and drug discovery to unlock the full potential of phosphatase-targeted allosteric modulators. In oncology, Anavo is developing multiple first-in-class therapeutic programs and will build on partnerships around its platform to establish a rich pipeline across several indications. Anavo is backed by blue-chip investors M Ventures, INKEF Capital, Taiho Ventures and Bioqube Ventures. For more information, please visit: www.anavotx.com

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Leiden, The Netherlands, and Heidelberg, Germany, August 16, 2021 – Anavo Therapeutics, a global leader in unlocking the full therapeutic potential of human phosphatase biology, today announced that the company has partnered with BioLabs Global, a developer and operator of premium co-working laboratories in the U.S. and Europe, to establish its R&D center as one of the first tenants at the newly established BioLabs life-sciences start-up incubator in Heidelberg, Germany. Anavo’s leadership team joined today’s groundbreaking event in Heidelberg together with representatives from BioLabs Global and their strategic sponsors and partners for the incubator, including Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck KGaA, Eli Lilly and Company, and AbbVie, as well as BioRN, the leading non-profit membership network supporting the life science cluster in the Rhine-Neckar region, and the Mayor of Heidelberg Prof. Dr. Eckart Würzner.

“Anavo has made significant progress since the closing of our EUR 20 million seed financing earlier this year and the decision for the location of our main R&D hub is vital for taking the next steps in building our organization. By establishing an R&D center in Heidelberg in addition to our headquarters in Leiden, we are expanding our reach and talent pool throughout Europe. We will benefit from the vibrant and innovative startup community fostered by the BioLabs ecosystem and as a new BioRN member,” said Dr. Birgit Zech, Chief Executive Officer of Anavo Therapeutics.

“With the German Cancer Research Center, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and several renowned universities and research organizations, Heidelberg is a world-leading hub for academic advancements and cancer research,” said Dr. Gerhard Müller, Chief Scientific Officer of Anavo Therapeutics. “Access to these top tier resources will be invaluable to Anavo as we advance our proprietary IGNITE drug discovery platform and work to develop a portfolio of phosphatase-targeted therapeutic programs to address cancers across a variety of phosphatase target class members spanning multiple indications.”

BioLabs Heidelberg is designed to foster innovation and generate growth for the Rhine-Neckar-Region. BioLabs offers fully equipped and managed lab space, mentoring and direct industry connections to provide entrepreneurs with the infrastructure needed to transform research into products. As one of the first incubators of its kind in Europe, BioLabs Heidelberg is intended to promote and advance entrepreneurship in the region’s leading cluster of world-class life science research.

About Anavo Therapeutics
Anavo Therapeutics is the first company to systematically drug phosphatases, a rich target space previously considered undruggable for decades. We have attracted world-leading scientific expertise in phosphatase-driven disease biology and drug discovery to unlock the full potential of phosphatase-targeted allosteric modulators. In oncology, Anavo is developing multiple first-in-class therapeutic programs and will build on partnerships around its platform to establish a rich pipeline across several indications. Anavo is backed by blue-chip investors M Ventures, INKEF Capital, Taiho Ventures and Bioqube Ventures. For more information, please visit: www.anavotx.com

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Leiden, The Netherlands, and Heidelberg, Germany, December 09, 2021 – Anavo Therapeutics, a global leader in unlocking the full therapeutic potential of human phosphatase biology, today announced the appointment of Charles McDermott as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. McDermott currently serves as the Chairman, CEO and President of Primmune Therapeutics. He brings to Anavo over 25 years of experience in the life sciences industry including extensive expertise in drug discovery, regulatory affairs, corporate development, commercial planning, and executive management. “Anavo has made significant progress since the closing of our EUR 20 million seed financing earlier this year and the decision for the location of our main R&D hub is vital for taking the next steps in building our organization. By establishing an R&D center in Heidelberg in addition to our headquarters in Leiden, we are expanding our reach and talent pool throughout Europe. We will benefit from the vibrant and innovative startup community fostered by the BioLabs ecosystem and as a new BioRN member,” said Dr. Birgit Zech, Chief Executive Officer of Anavo Therapeutics.

I am thrilled to welcome Charlie to our Board as Chairman. Charlie’s keen business insight and vast experience in advancing innovative biopharma companies will be vital to Anavo’s continued growth,” said Birgit Zech, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Anavo Therapeutics. “He has successfully led the development of multiple private and public companies in various therapeutic areas and we are excited to leverage his expertise, network, and leadership from the U.S. as we expand our team in Europe and further build out our R&D capabilities at our new hub in Heidelberg.”

“It is an honor to be invited to join Anavo’s Board of Directors as Chairman to help steer the company’s development of a rich pipeline of novel, oral small molecule phosphatase modulators,” Mr. McDermott said. “Phosphatases are as critical to biological processes as are kinases, and yet drug discovery efforts in this area are almost non-existent. The experienced Anavo team, along with its top-notch Series A investors, are pioneering novel insights into this exciting area of biology, while building a drug discovery platform that uniquely addresses the many unmet medical needs driven by pathological phosphatase activity.”

Mr. McDermott further strengthens Anavo’s existing Board, which includes: Therese Maria Liechtenstein, M Ventures; Simone Botti, INKEF Capital; Sakae Asanuma, Taiho Ventures; Debora Dumont, Bioqube Ventures; Birgit Zech, Anavo Therapeutics; and Gerhard Müller, Anavo Therapeutics.

Prior to joining Primmune Therapeutics as Chairman, CEO and President, Mr. McDermott served as President, Chief Business Officer and a member of the Board of Directors at Impact Biomedicines, Inc., where he raised more than $110 million in private equity and royalty financing to fully fund the development and commercialization of INREBICã (fedratinib) for the treatment of serious hematological malignancies. Impact was acquired by Celgene in 2018 for $1.1 billion upfront and up to $7 billion overall if all contingent payments are realized. INREBICã was subsequently approved in 2019. Prior to Impact, Mr. McDermott was President and Chief Business Officer at Kala Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where he led the company’s transformation from a private, pre-clinical stage company to a public pre-commercial stage company, raising approximately $190 million via private equity, debt, and an initial public offering. In August 2018, Kala received NDA approval for Inveltys™, an internally developed drug for ocular indications. Previously, Mr. McDermott served as Vice President of Global Business Development for the Eye Care and Drug Delivery business unit at Allergan, where he led efforts to license and acquire various technologies and therapeutics including Lastacaft™, Acuvail™, Restasis® MultiDose™, Latisse™, and Abicipar. Earlier in his career, Mr. McDermott also served as Associate Director of Business Development at deCODE Genetics and worked at Pfizer/Agouron in drug discovery and regulatory affairs.

Mr. McDermott holds a BA in biochemistry and molecular biology from UC Santa Cruz, an MA in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology from UC Santa Barbara, and an MBA from the University of San Diego.

About Anavo Therapeutics
Anavo Therapeutics is the first company to systematically drug phosphatases, a rich target space previously considered undruggable for decades. We have attracted world-leading scientific expertise in phosphatase-driven disease biology and drug discovery to unlock the full potential of phosphatase-targeted allosteric modulators. In oncology, Anavo is developing multiple first-in-class therapeutic programs and will build on partnerships around its platform to establish a rich pipeline across several indications. Anavo is backed by blue-chip investors M Ventures, INKEF Capital, Taiho Ventures and Bioqube Ventures. For more information, please visit: www.anavotx.com

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Leiden, The Netherlands, and Heidelberg, Germany, May 2, 2023 – Anavo Therapeutics, a global leader in unlocking the full therapeutic potential of human phosphatase biology, announced today an EUR 8.5 million seed round extension, adding MRL Ventures Fund as a new investor. All existing investors, M Ventures, INKEF, Taiho Ventures, and Bioqube Ventures, participated in the extension, bringing the total seed round to EUR 28 million.

“Since our inception in 2021, Anavo Therapeutics has advanced multiple proprietary pipeline programs in this centrally important target class and added significant expertise to the team, SAB, and the board. Today, we welcome MRL Ventures Fund to our existing investor syndicate,” commented Birgit Zech, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Anavo Therapeutics. “Leveraging our unique IGNITE phosphatase drug discovery platform, we will continue to accelerate our proprietary portfolio of programs targeting disease-relevant phosphatases toward clinical development, while continuing to build a center of excellence for phosphatase targeting.”

"We are encouraged by the progress being made at Anavo in establishing a systematic approach to phosphatase drug discovery,” said Karin Kleinhans, PhD, Partner at MRL Ventures Fund. “At MRL Ventures we believe Anavo’s platform offers the potential to harness the therapeutic opportunity of this important target class.”

As a result of the transaction, Karin Kleinhans, Partner at MRL Ventures Fund, will join the existing Board of Directors, which includes Charles McDermott (Chairman); Therese Maria Liechtenstein, M Ventures; Simone Botti, INKEF Capital; Sakae Asanuma, Taiho Ventures; Debora Dumont, Bioqube Ventures; and Birgit Zech, Anavo Therapeutics.

About Anavo Therapeutics:
Anavo Therapeutics is the first company to systematically drug phosphatases, a rich target space previously considered undruggable for decades. We have attracted world-leading scientific expertise in phosphatase-driven disease biology and drug discovery to unlock the full potential of phosphatase-targeted allosteric modulators. In oncology, Anavo is developing multiple first-in-class therapeutic programs and will build on partnerships around its platform to establish a rich pipeline across several indications. Anavo is backed by blue-chip investors M Ventures, INKEF Capital, Taiho Ventures, MRL Ventures Fund, and Bioqube Ventures. For more information, please visit: www.anavotx.com.

About MRL Ventures 
MRL Ventures Fund (MRLV) is the therapeutics-focused corporate venture fund of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA. From its headquarters in Cambridge, Mass., USA, the MRLV team invests globally in early-stage innovative therapeutics companies that are developing transformative medicines in any therapeutic area using any modality. The MRLV team of experienced life-sciences venture capital professionals is committed to supporting great entrepreneurs in their quest to create value through building companies that have a meaningful impact on health and disease. For more information, visit www.mrlv.com. 

About M Ventures
M Ventures is the strategic, corporate venture capital arm of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. From its headquarters in the Netherlands and offices in Germany, USA and Israel, M Ventures invests globally in transformational ideas driven by innovative entrepreneurs. Taking an active role in its portfolio companies, M Ventures teams up with management teams and co-investors to translate scientific discoveries into commercial success. M Ventures focuses on identifying and financing novel solutions to some of the most difficult challenges, through company creation and equity investments in fields that will impact the vitality and sustainability of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany ’s current and future businesses. For more information, visit www.m-ventures.com.

About INKEF Capital
INKEF Capital is a venture capital firm based in Amsterdam, backing promising early-stage companies in Europe. INKEF takes pride in being a patient, long-term investor with the ability to support companies through several rounds of funding. From the early stages of a technology or life science venture, INKEF Capital supports entrepreneurs building their ideas into successful international businesses. For more information, please visit: https://www.inkef.com/.

About Taiho Ventures
Taiho Ventures, LLC is the corporate venture arm of Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., a Japanese specialty pharmaceutical company focusing on oncology, allergy and immunology, and urology. With $300M under management, Taiho Ventures is actively investing in early-stage private companies strategically relevant to Taiho Pharmaceutical. The firm considers company creation, spinouts and the option-type of investments as well as pure equity investments. For more information, visit https://taihoventures.com/.

About Bioqube Ventures
Bioqube Ventures is a specialist life sciences investment firm founded in 2016. The team consists of investment professionals, sector experts and serial entrepreneurs that have a proven track record in successfully building and leading companies on their growth paths. In 2020, Bioqube Ventures launched the Bioqube Factory Fund I, a 110M EUR fund with a clear focus on the discovery and development of new therapeutic platforms and assets. With a diversified investment strategy, including a venture creation model and industry guidance through selected strategic partnerships, Bioqube Ventures will exclusively invest in the most promising innovative science in Europe. For more information, visit www.bioqubeventures.com

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The company appoints industry veteran Shaun McNulty as Chief Scientific Officer and welcomes R&D expert Anna Quattropani as Senior Vice President of Chemistry & Non-Clinical Development

Leiden, The Netherlands - September 21, 2023 – Anavo Therapeutics, a global leader in unlocking the full therapeutic potential of phosphatase biology, announced the appointment of Shaun McNulty, DPhil, as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) and the appointment of Anna Quattropani, PhD, as Senior Vice President of Chemistry and Non-Clinical Development. Dr. McNulty will oversee the implementation of Anavo’s strategy from discovery into clinical development and, together with Dr. Quattropani and Anavo’s management team, the continued design of Anavo’s first- and best-in-class phosphatase-targeting allosteric modulators.

“We are fortunate to welcome Anna and Shaun to the Anavo team at this stage of our company’s growth,” said Birgit Zech, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Anavo Therapeutics. “Anna and Shaun’s industry knowledge and R&D experience will support Anavo’s progress in creating a proprietary portfolio of therapeutic programs and establishing a robust platform for phosphatase targeting across multiple indications.”

Shaun McNulty, DPhil, has more than 30 years of experience in the biopharma industry, with a focus on designing and developing therapeutics in oncology. He has served as Chief Scientific Officer at companies utilizing novel approaches in biology and chemistry, including Biosceptre, Inflection Biosciences and Awakn Life Sciences. He has led scientific R&D teams for companies such as Charles River, GSK, Pfizer and Syntaxin. Through his many roles, Dr. McNulty has supported the clinical development of Neurontin and Lyrica, obtained regulatory clearance for 5 drug candidates to enter the clinic, and identified and refined over 50 candidates for pre-clinical development. Dr. McNulty holds a DPhil in Biochemistry and Cell Biology and a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of York in the UK and performed post-doctoral research at the University of Cambridge on kinase-mediated neuronal cell signaling.

“Anavo’s IGNITE platform uniquely enables the rapid identification and development of therapeutics targeting phosphatases, initially thought to be undruggable targets,” said Dr. McNulty. “I am excited to join the Anavo team as we continue to accelerate our proprietary portfolio of programs targeting disease-relevant phosphatases toward clinical development and to build out our next-generation approach for phosphatase targeting.”

Anna Quattropani, PhD, joins Anavo with over 20 years of experience in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery. She has a successful track record designing multiple clinical candidates and driving them from discovery through clinical development. Dr. Quattropani has been working in diverse therapeutic areas, including neurodegenerative, inflammatory, autoimmune, and cardiovascular diseases, as well as women’s health. She has held senior leadership roles at Asceneuron and Draupnir and R&D roles at Serono and Merck KGaA. Dr. Quattropani is the inventor of several clinical molecules such as the O-GlcNAcase inhibitors ASN90 and ASN51 for neurodegenerative diseases and the oxytocin receptor antagonist Nolasiban. She obtained her PhD and MS in organic synthesis and organometallic chemistry at University of Geneva, Switzerland followed by postdoctoral training at the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Quattropani is the inventor of 49 patents and the author of 21 peer-reviewed publications.

“I am very proud to join Anavo’s outstanding team and help accelerate the discovery and development of phosphatase-targeting allosteric modulators to provide potential alternative therapeutic solutions for patients,” said Dr. Quattropani.

Anavo’s former CSO Gerhard Müller, PhD, joins the Scientific Advisory Board to continue contributing to the board’s drug discovery and development.

About Anavo Therapeutics:
Anavo Therapeutics is the first company to systematically drug phosphatases, a rich target space previously considered undruggable for decades. We have attracted world-leading scientific expertise in phosphatase-driven disease biology and drug discovery to unlock the full potential of phosphatase-targeted allosteric modulators. In oncology, Anavo is developing multiple first-in-class therapeutic programs and will build on partnerships around its platform to establish a rich pipeline across several indications. Anavo is backed by blue-chip investors M Ventures, INKEF Capital, Taiho Ventures, MRL Ventures Fund, and Bioqube Ventures. For more information, please visit: www.anavotx.com.

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Leiden, The Netherlands - October 9, 2024 – Anavo Therapeutics, a global leader in unlocking the full therapeutic potential of phosphatase biology, today announced the appointment of Edward Holson, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO). Based in Boston, he will also serve as President of Anavo US, overseeing R&D operations both in the US and Europe. The dual presence will enable Anavo to leverage both research team’s complementary scientific strengths across leading biotechnology regions. Dr. Holson brings over 25 years of expertise in medicinal chemistry, drug discovery, and novel therapeutic development. As an accomplished scientific leader, Dr. Holson has co-founded and led several biotech ventures, directing drug discovery efforts and developing small-molecule therapies across various indications, biological targets and technologies. In his role, he will drive Anavo’s scientific strategy, focusing on advancing the company’s proprietary IGNITE platform and the development of first-in-class phosphatase modulators.

"Anavo Therapeutics is advancing a critical area of drug discovery by targeting phosphatases with strategies that unlock the specific regulation of this important enzyme class. The team has built a strong foundation using the proprietary IGNITE platform, designed to modulate phosphatase signaling pathways and develop therapies that address complex diseases. My focus will be on working with the entire Anavo team to drive the development of novel therapies that target previously undruggable phosphatase signaling pathways, addressing critical needs in immunology, metabolism, oncology and other complex diseases," stated Dr. Edward Holson, Chief Scientific Officer, President US of Anavo Therapeutics.

"As we continue to generate key data demonstrating the potential of our IGNITE platform, Ed’s expertise in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery is a timely addition. His extensive background in leading small-molecule programs will be instrumental in advancing our pipeline of phosphatase modulators. We look forward to leveraging his network in the U.S. to expand our global reach and accelerate our proprietary programs targeting disease-relevant phosphatases toward clinical development. We also extend our gratitude to Shaun McNulty for his contributions to Anavo and wish him the best in his future endeavors," said Dr. Birgit Zech, Chief Executive Officer of Anavo Therapeutics.

Dr. Edward Holson is a distinguished scientist and entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in medicinal chemistry, drug discovery, and therapeutic development. Before joining Anavo, he co-founded Photys Therapeutics, serving as Chief Scientific Officer and Strategic Advisor. He previously held the roles of President and Chief Scientific Officer as a co-founder at Amathus Therapeutics. He was also the founder of KDAc Therapeutics, where he served as Director, President, and Chief Scientific Officer, and continues to serve on its Board of Directors. He was a founding member of the Scientific Advisory Board at Rodin Therapeutics and served as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Atlas Venture. His academic tenure includes serving as Director of Medicinal Chemistry at the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research and Director of the Chemistry and Chemical Biology Platform at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Earlier in his career, Dr Holson worked at Infinity Pharmaceuticals and Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA in various roles in medicinal chemistry and pharmaceutical development.

About Anavo Therapeutics:
Anavo Therapeutics is at the forefront of phosphatase-based drug discovery with its IGNITE platform, a unique approach for accessing a space previously considered undruggable. Based on our world-leading expertise in phosphatase-driven disease biology and drug discovery, we will unlock the full therapeutic potential of phosphatase-targeted modulators for our first-in-class proprietary pipeline and through partnerships. Anavo is backed by blue-chip investors M Ventures, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, INKEF Capital, Taiho Ventures, MRL Ventures Fund, and Bioqube Ventures. For more information, please visit: www.anavotx.com.

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