CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apic Bio Inc. today announced the appointment of Stephen Hoffman, MD, PhD, as Chairman of the Board. Dr. Hoffman has a distinguished career in life sciences spanning decades. Most recently he was the chief executive officer of Aerpio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., from 2017 to 2019 and has served as senior advisor to PDL BioPharma, Inc., since 2014. Prior to that, he was a managing director at Skyline Ventures, a venture capital firm, from 2007 until 2014.
Apic’s Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, John Reilly, said, "We are thrilled to have Stephen head our board as we continue to advance our programs in SOD1 ALS and Alpha-1. Stephen’s scientific and medical background along with his track record in business development and experience with gene therapy companies, will be particularly helpful. We look forward to working with Stephen and the rest of the board as we continue to advance our pipeline and leverage Apic’s proprietary silence and replace THRIVE™ platform.”
Prior to Skyline Ventures, Dr. Hoffman was a general partner at TVM Capital. From 1994 to 2002, he served as president, chief executive officer, and a member of the board of directors of Allos Therapeutics, Inc., where he remained as chairman of the board until it was acquired by Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc., in 2012. From 1990 to 1994, Dr. Hoffman completed a fellowship in clinical oncology and a residency/fellowship in dermatology, both at the University of Colorado. Dr. Hoffman was the scientific founder of Somatogen Inc., a biotechnology company that in 1998 was acquired by Baxter International, Inc., where he held the position of vice president of science and technology from 1987 until 1990.
Dr. Hoffman currently serves as a director on the boards of Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and AcelRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Previously, he served on the boards of Genocea Biosciences, Inc., and Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a pharmaceutical company that was acquired by GlaxoSmithKline in 2008. Dr. Hoffman holds a PhD in bio-organic chemistry from Northwestern University and an MD from the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
About Apic Bio
Apic Bio is an innovative gene therapy company focused on developing first-in-class treatment options for rare, undertreated neurological and liver diseases. The Company's lead program is an adeno-associated (AAV)-based gene therapy for the treatment of the copper zinc superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) genetic form ALS. Preclinical studies of additional genetic forms of ALS (C9Orf72) and Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (Alpha-1) are ongoing. The Company is also advancing discovery programs for two undisclosed CNS indications that leverage its proprietary silence and replace THRIVE™ platform. The Company is backed by leading and disease-centric investors, including Morningside Ventures, ALS Investment Fund, and The Alpha-1 Project (TAP). For more information please visit www.apic-bio.com.
