Metacrine Appoints Dr. Julia C. Owens to Its Board of Directors
April 05 2021 - 4:05PM
Metacrine, Inc. (NASDAQ:MTCR), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical
company pioneering differentiated therapies for patients with liver
and gastrointestinal diseases, today announced the appointment of
Julia C. Owens, Ph.D. to the Company’s board of directors,
effective April 1, 2021. Dr. Owens will serve as a member of the
Compensation Committee.
“We’re excited to welcome Julia as a new independent director,”
commented Richard Heyman, Ph.D., Metacrine’s chairman. “She is an
accomplished biopharmaceutical executive, with an established track
record in building companies, business development, capital
formation and strategic partnerships. Julia’s perspective will
provide our board with valuable insights as we look ahead to
important operating and clinical development
milestones.”
Dr. Owens currently serves as the executive chairperson for
Millendo Therapeutics, Inc., a company that she co-founded in 2012.
For nine years, she served as the president and chief executive
officer of Millendo, establishing its strategy, building its
endocrine disease pipeline and attracting a world class team. Under
her leadership, the company raised $195 million from both the
private and public markets, and advanced four distinct product
candidates into clinical studies in six different indications,
including four Phase 2 programs and a pivotal study. Prior to
co-founding Millendo, she served as senior vice president,
corporate development and strategy at Lycera Corp. Dr. Owens also
held business development roles at QuatRx Pharmaceuticals, which
was acquired by Shionogi following the approval of Osphena®, and at
Tularik Inc. (acquired by Amgen). She is on the board of the
Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), the Leadership Council
of the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute, and the
Investment Advisory Board of the Michigan Biomedical Venture Fund.
Dr. Owens holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of
California, San Francisco and a B.S. in chemistry and B.A. in
molecular and cellular biology from the University of California,
Berkeley.
“I’m impressed with Metacrine’s progress advancing its potential
best-in-class FXR programs,” said Dr. Owens. “Non-alcoholic
steatohepatitis (NASH) is an epidemic in the making with no
approved treatments, and will soon become the leading cause of
liver transplants in the U.S. It’s an important time for our
industry as we bring forward treatments for these patients, and I’m
thrilled to join a passionate board of directors with a unified
vision.”
About MetacrineMetacrine, Inc. is a
clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company building a pipeline of
differentiated therapies to treat liver and gastrointestinal
diseases. Metacrine has developed a proprietary farnesoid X
receptor (FXR) platform utilizing a unique chemical scaffold, which
has demonstrated an improved therapeutic profile in clinical
trials. The Company’s two product candidates, MET409 and MET642,
are currently being investigated in clinical trials as potential
new treatments for NASH. MET409 has completed a 12-week monotherapy
trial in patients with NASH and is being evaluated in a 12-week
combination trial with empagliflozin in patients with both NASH and
type 2 diabetes. MET642 has completed a 14-day Phase 1 trial in
healthy volunteers and is being evaluated in a 16-week monotherapy
trial in patients with NASH. To learn more, visit
www.metacrine.com.
Forward-Looking Statements This press release
contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements in
this press release that are not purely historical are
forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements
include, among other things, statements regarding the therapeutic
potential of MET409 and MET642; the differentiated nature of
Metacrine’s FXR program; plans underlying Metacrine’s clinical
trials; plans for advancing the clinical development of Metacrine’s
FXR program; the potential best-in-class nature of Metacrine’s FXR
program; and the potential for its FXR product candidates to be
long-term therapies for NASH. Words such as “may,” “will,”
“expect,” “plan,” “aim,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,”
“potential,” “prepare,” “perceived” and similar expressions (as
well as other words or expressions referencing future events,
conditions or circumstances) are intended to identify
forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are
based on Metacrine’s expectations and assumptions that may never
materialize or prove to be incorrect. Each of these forward-looking
statements involves risks and uncertainties. Actual results may
differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking
statements due to numerous risks and uncertainties, including but
not limited to: risks and uncertainties regarding regulatory
approvals for MET409 or MET642; potential delays in initiating,
enrolling or completing any clinical trials; potential adverse side
effects or other safety risks associated with Metacrine’s product
candidates; competition from third parties that are developing
products for similar uses; and Metacrine’s ability to obtain,
maintain and protect its intellectual property. Information
regarding the foregoing and additional risks may be found in the
section entitled “Risk Factors” in Metacrine’s Annual Report on
Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
“SEC”) on March 18, 2021, and in Metacrine’s other filings with the
SEC. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release
speak only as of the date on which they were made. Except as
required by law, Metacrine assumes no obligation to update any
forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change
in expectations, even as new information becomes available.
Contact
Steve Kunszabo
(858) 369-7892
investors@metacrine.com
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