HepaRegeniX appoints Dr. Martin Bonde as new Chair of the Board

HepaRegeniX appoints Dr. Martin Bonde as new Chair of the Board

• Elias Papatheodorou moves from Chair of Board to CEO and Managing Director of HepaRegeniX
• Preparations for upcoming clinical trials in the USA are ongoing

Tuebingen (Germany), October 22, 2024 – HepaRegeniX GmbH, a clinical stage company developing a novel regenerative therapy for the treatment of acute and chronic liver diseases, today announced the appointment of Dr. Martin Bonde as its new Chair of the Board of Directors, effective immediately. His appointment follows the recent €15 million Series C financing round, which supports the further clinical development, through Phase II clinical trials of HepaRegeniX’ innovative approach to liver regeneration.

Dr. Martin Bonde succeeds Elias Papatheodorou, who is now CEO and Managing Director of HepaRegeniX after serving two and a half years as Chair. Dr. Bonde brings a wealth of international experience in the biotech sector and currently serves as the CEO of Akylox Therapeutics ApS and Chairman of the Board at Asgard Therapeutics AB. Previously, he held leadership positions in various biotech companies such as Inthera Bioscience AG, Vaccibody AS (now operating as Nykode Therapeutics AS), Epitherapeutics Aps (acquired by Gilead Sciences, Inc.), NatImmune A/S (acquired by Azanta A/S), Combio A/S (acquired by Arpida AG), Torsana Biosensor (acquired by Celtor Bioscience, Inc.), and Osteometer Biotech (now part of Nordic Bioscience A/S). Further, he is an entrepreneur-in-residence at BiOrigin, the advisory unit of Seed Investments - Novo Holdings A/S, and also serves on the board of the life science incubator BioInnovation Institute (BII) and on the board of digital pathology company Visiopharm A/S. Martin Bonde holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Technical University of Denmark, along with a Diploma in Business Administration from Copenhagen Business School.

"We are excited to welcome Martin Bonde to HepaRegeniX at this pivotal time for the company," said Elias Papatheodorou, CEO of HepaRegeniX. "Martin brings over two decades of leadership experience in the biotech sector, with a proven track record in driving innovation and strategic partnerships. His expertise in advancing drug candidates through clinical development will be instrumental as we progress HRX-215 through Phase II trials. With his guidance, we are confident in advancing our mission to restore liver function and prevent liver failure, addressing the urgent needs of patients worldwide."

Dr. Martin Bonde, Chair of the Board of Directors, commented: “I am thrilled to join HepaRegeniX as Chair of the Board, especially after the recent successful financing that will enable the next stages of clinical development. With its advanced approach to liver regeneration, HepaRegeniX has the potential to make a significant impact on the lives of patients who are affected by liver failure and other liver diseases. I look forward to supporting the company through its next stages of clinical and business development.”

HepaRegeniX is developing HRX-215, a small molecule inhibitor of Mitogen-Activated Protein (MAP) Kinase Kinase 4 (MKK4). This new mechanism of action has shown great potential for inducing liver regeneration in preclinical experiments, and a Phase I trial has been successfully completed with results published in the journal Cell. A Phase Ib study in the US as well as an international Phase IIa study are planned.

For further information please contact:

HepaRegeniX GmbH
Elias Papatheodorou
CEO
info@heparegenix.com
 

For media inquiries:
MC Services AG
Katja Arnold, Dr. Regina Lutz
+49 89 210 228-0
UK: Shaun Brown
M: +44 7867 515 918
heparegenix@mc-services.eu
 

About HepaRegeniX GmbH – www.heparegenix.com
Since 2017, HepaRegeniX has successfully discovered and developed several drug candidates for the treatment of acute and chronic liver diseases based on a novel proprietary molecular target Mitogen-Activated Protein (MAP) Kinase Kinase 4 (MKK4). The first MKK4 inhibitor HRX-215 recently completed Phase 1 clinical testing. MKK4 is a key regulator of liver regeneration and suppression of MKK4 unlocks the regenerative capacity of hepatocytes even in severely diseased livers. This new and unique therapeutic concept was discovered by Prof. Lars Zender and his research group at the University Hospital Tuebingen, Germany. Investors in HepaRegeniX include Vesalius Biocapital IV, the Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund (BIVF), Seed Investments - Novo Holdings A/S, Coparion, High-Tech Gründerfonds and Ascenion GmbH.