Farzan brings more than two decades'
leadership experience with a strong track record in fundraising and
IPOs
THOUSAND
OAKS, Calif., July 22,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Latigo Biotherapeutics Inc.
("Latigo"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing
best-in-class non-opioid pain medicines that target pain at
its source, today announced the appointment of Nima Farzan, MBA, as chief executive officer
(CEO).
Mr. Farzan brings a strong track record of more than two decades
of leadership experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. He
replaces Desmond Padhi, Pharm.D.,
operating partner at Westlake Village BioPartners, who has been
serving as Latigo's interim CEO.
"The addition of Nima represents a pivotal moment for Latigo,"
said Nancy Stagliano, Ph.D., chair
of Latigo's board of directors. "His extensive industry leadership
and clinical development experience will propel us toward our goal
of becoming a world leader in discovering and developing non-opioid
pain medicines."
"I am honored to lead Latigo Biotherapeutics at such a critical
juncture," said Farzan. "With our cutting-edge approach to pain
management, I am confident in our ability to drive significant
advancements in the field and enhance patient care where new, safer
options are needed."
"Desmond's leadership has been vital during a transformative
period for Latigo, setting a solid stage for our next chapter of
growth," said Stagliano. "The board extends heartfelt thanks to
Desmond for his exemplary service as interim CEO."
Strong Track Record in Fundraising and
IPOs
Nima Farzan brings more
than two decades of leadership experience in the biopharmaceutical
industry, including a significant tenure as chief executive officer
(CEO) of Kinnate Biopharma. He joined Kinnate in 2020 and built an
organization that subsequently brought three different precision
oncology compounds discovered internally into the clinic. He led
Kinnate's successful initial public offering (IPO) of $270 million and eventual sale to Xoma
Corporation in April 2024. Prior to joining Kinnate, Mr.
Farzan spent seven years at PaxVax, where he was most recently
president and CEO. At PaxVax, he led a team of 250 people through
several successful financings, the licensure from the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) of Vaxchora® (cholera vaccine), the grant
of a Priority Review Voucher from the FDA, the acquisition of
several programs from Johnson & Johnson, and a number of
commercial product launches. The company received a Priority Review
Voucher that it sold and ultimately, he negotiated the sale of
PaxVax to Emergent BioSolutions, returning nearly $500 million back to shareholders between the two
transactions. Prior to PaxVax, he was at Novartis AG in a series of
roles of increasing responsibility, including vice president of
U.S. Marketing at Novartis' Vaccines and Diagnostics division.
Previously, he worked at DoubleTwist, a pioneering genomics
company, and was a consultant with Boston Consulting Group. After
the sales of PaxVax and Kinnate, Mr. Farzan was an
executive-in-residence at Foresite Capital.
Mr. Farzan is a director of Keros Therapeutics and was a member
of the founding board of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness
Innovations (CEPI). He holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a BA in human biology
with honors from Stanford
University.
About Latigo Biotherapeutics
Latigo Biotherapeutics
Inc., is a privately held clinical-stage biotechnology company
focused on developing non-opioid pain medicines targeting the
fundamental mechanisms of pain transduction. Utilizing advanced
technologies, the company innovates novel drugs validated by human
genetics. Supported by leading investors like Westlake Village
BioPartners, 5AM Ventures, Foresite
Capital, and Corner Ventures, Latigo is committed to redefining
pain management. For more information, please visit
www.latigobio.com or follow us on
LinkedIn.
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SOURCE Latigo Biotherapeutics