Exonate has appointed Olav Hellebø as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Hellebø brings extensive business and scientific leadership experience across the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, with a distinguished track record in ophthalmology, immunology and oncology.
Hellebø has held senior commercial and development roles across the US and Europe. Notably, he served as Executive Vice President at Schering-Plough (now Merck), leading the US Biotech and Oncology business unit, Chief Operating Officer of Novartis UK and a member of the Novartis Global Pharmaceutical Executive Committee, and President of Immunology at UCB where he built and led the Immunology Division following the company’s acquisition of Celltech. As CEO of ReNeuron Group, he in-licensed a retinitis pigmentosa programme from the Schepens Eye Research Institute, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School.
Hellebø has been a member of the board of several biotech companies, and currently serves as Director at Oncoinvent and Cytovation, and as Chair at Blue Cell Therapeutics and ION Therapeutics.
Exonate is a biotechnology company developing novel, non-invasive, small-molecule therapeutics for patients with retinal vascular diseases, and Hellebø commented: “Exonate is targeting the VEGF pathway, one of the most validated pathways in retinal disease through a differentiated, topical mechanism delivered as an eye drop, rather than the intravitreal injections used today. We are now ready for a phase 2b study with a design endorsed by regulators and a clear path to registration, in which a positive result would be confirmed by a closely mirrored phase 3. For the many patients who go untreated rather than accept injections, this is a compelling proposition.”
Rafiq Hasan, Chair of the Board of Directors, said: “Olav combines deep scientific understanding with extensive operational and commercial leadership experience, gained across both large pharmaceutical companies and emerging biotechnology businesses. His expertise in ophthalmology, together with his proven ability to build and lead successful organisations, makes him ideally suited to guide Exonate as we continue to advance our pipeline and create value for patients.”