Hans Schikan has been a member of the Board since 2018 and is a leader in rare disease drug development and strategy. He was previously CEO of Prosensa (Nasdaq: RNA), a company developing therapies for rare diseases including Duchenne muscular dystrophy acquired by BioMarin. He is also co-founder and Vice-Chair of Pharvaris (Nasdaq: PHVS), a clinical stage company developing therapies for the rare disease hereditary angioedema. Prior to Pharvaris and Prosensa, Hans Schikan was an executive at rare disease pioneer Genzyme. He also served on the boards of Wilson Therapeutics (Nasdaq Stockholm: WTX), acquired by Alexion, Therachon, acquired by Pfizer, and VectivBio (Nasdaq: VECT), acquired by Ironwood.
“It has been a privilege to serve on the Vicore Board and I am pleased to be taking on an expanded role with the company,” said Hans Schikan. “I am looking forward to leading the Board as the company seeks to drive transformational impact for patients suffering from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and advance its leadership in angiotensin II pathway biology and drug discovery.”
Ann Barbier, MD, PhD, has more than 20 years of experience in drug discovery and development in rare diseases, including rare respiratory diseases She previously served as Chief Medical Officer of Translate Bio (Nasdaq: TBIO), a biotechnology company developing drugs for rare respiratory diseases acquired by Sanofi as well as Chief Medical Officer at CAMP4 Therapeutics.
“Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a huge unmet medical need and the data generated by the Vicore team to date reflect disease modifying potential for patients who have limited options today,” said Ann Barbier. “I am proud to join Vicore’s effort to impact this disease and look forward to serving on the Board as the company advances to Phase 2b development of buloxibutid.”
Yasir Al-Wakeel is a leader in biotech strategic finance and business development. He is currently the CEO of a private biotech company and member of the Maxcyte (Nasdaq: MXCT) board. Yasir Al-Wakeel was previously the Chief Financial Officer and Head of Corporate Development at Kronos Bio (Nasdaq: KRON), Chief Financial and Strategy Officer at Neon Therapeutics (Nasdaq: NTGN), acquired by BioNTech, and Chief Financial Officer and Head of Corporate Development at Merrimack Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: MACK), leading its 1 billion USD asset sale to Ipsen.
“Vicore’s potential therapy for IPF is incredibly promising and I am excited to join the Vicore Board as the company seeks to expand its global footprint as it advances to late-stage development of buloxibutid,” said Yasir Al-Wakeel. “I am looking forward to leveraging my experience in both strategic finance and corporate development during this important time for the company.”
For further information, please contact:
Megan Richards, VP Investor Relations, Communications and Portfolio Strategy, tel: +1 978 269-4372, megan.richards@vicorepharma.com
Hans Jeppsson, CFO, tel: +46 70 553 14 65, hans.jeppsson@vicorepharma.com
This information was submitted for publication on May 14, 2024, at 08:00 CET.
About Vicore Pharma Holding AB (publ)
Vicore is an innovative clinical-stage pharmaceutical company unlocking the potential of a new class of drugs with disease-modifying potential. The company is establishing a portfolio in respiratory diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Buloxibutid (C21) is a first-in-class orally available small molecule angiotensin II type 2 receptor agonist (ATRAG) currently in phase 2a development for IPF. Almee™ (an investigational medical device in clinical development) is a digital therapeutic based on cognitive behavioral therapy created to address the psychological impact of living with pulmonary fibrosis. Almee has received Breakthrough Device Designation from the FDA, reflecting its potential to have transformative impact. Using its unique expertise in ATRAG chemistry and biology, Vicore is further fueling its pipeline with several new therapies across additional potential indications. The company’s shares (VICO) are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm’s main market. For more information, see www.vicorepharma.com.
VICORE PHARMA HOLDING AB 
