SwanBio Therapeutics (SwanBio), a gene therapy company advancing AAV-based therapies for the treatment of devastating, genetically defined neurological conditions, today announced the appointments of Patricia “Patty” Allen, former Chief Financial Officer of Zafgen, Inc.; Danny Bar-Zohar, M.D., Global Head of Development at Merck KGaA; and Alex Hamilton, Ph.D., Partner at Syncona, to the company’s Board of Directors. In addition to her role as a non-executive Director, Ms. Allen will serve as the Chair of SwanBio’s Audit Committee.
“SwanBio has been making tremendous progress in the advancement of our AAV-based pipeline of therapeutics for the treatment of neurological diseases, and we are thrilled to expand our Board of Directors with these key appointments,” said Tom Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of SwanBio. “Patty, Danny and Alex each bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise within their individual focus-areas, and their insights will be invaluable as we advance toward becoming a clinical company. We look forward to benefiting from their experience and collaborating on the important work ahead to deliver new medicines to patients with devastating diseases.”
“I’m pleased to join the SwanBio Board of Directors, along with Danny and Alex, at this pivotal moment in the company’s evolution,” said Ms. Allen. “SwanBio is driven by an exceptional team and founded based on innovative science, with a gene therapy approach that could make a significant difference for a number of people who suffer from genetic neurological diseases. I am excited for the future of this company and the opportunity to help guide them forward.”
Ms. Allen is a business finance and operations leader with more than 25 years of experience leading private and public companies through initial public offerings, equity and debt financings, SEC reporting, investor relations, sell-side and buy-side, strategic and long-range planning, FP&A, treasury, risk management and business development. Most recently, she served as Chief Financial Officer of Zafgen, Inc. (now Larimar Therapeutics) from 2013-2020. Prior to Zafgen, Ms. Allen was an independent financial consultant from 2011-2012; served as Vice President of Finance, Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc from 2004-2011; and as Director of Finance at Alkermes from 1992-2004. Ms. Allen also serves as a Director on the Board of Directors of several biotechnology companies and serves as the Chair of their Audit Committees. Ms. Allen graduated summa cum laude from Bryant College with a B.S. in business administration.
Dr. Bar-Zohar is a certified physician with proven expertise in drug development and a personal commitment to change people’s lives by developing sustainable, transformative healthcare solutions using both traditional and emerging technologies. He was recently appointed Global Head of Development at Merck KGaA in Darmstadt, Germany. Prior to Merck KGaA, Dr. Bar-Zohar was a Partner at Syncona and held various roles at Novartis Pharma AG from 2013-2020, most recently serving as Global Head, Clinical Development and Analytics. Before Novartis, Dr. Bar-Zohar held various clinical and medical affairs roles at Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries from 2006-2012. He obtained his medical doctor degree at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University and was trained in general surgery at the Tel-Aviv Medical Center.
Dr. Hamilton is an experienced financial leader within the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. Since SwanBio’s founding, Dr. Hamilton has played a key role in helping shape the company’s strategy as a Board Observer. Before joining Syncona, he was a member of the Healthcare Investment Banking team at Jefferies International, where he worked on a range of financings and mergers and acquisitions across the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors. Dr. Hamilton received his Ph.D. in immunology from the University of Cambridge.