VECT - NewAmsterdam Pharma Announces Appointments of Mark C. McKenna and Wouter Joustra to its Board of Directors | Benzinga
NAARDEN, The Netherlands and MIAMI, July 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NewAmsterdam Pharma Company N.V. (NASDAQ:NAMS), a late-stage, clinical biopharmaceutical company developing oral, non-statin medicines for patients at risk of cardiovascular disease ("CVD") with elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ("LDL-C"), for whom existing therapies are not sufficiently effective or well-tolerated, today announced the appointments of Mark C. McKenna and Wouter Joustra to its Board of Directors. Mr. McKenna and Mr. Joustra have joined as temporary non-executive directors to fulfill vacant positions within the Board of Directors until their proposed appointment by the general meeting of shareholders at the next annual general meeting. Additionally, NewAmsterdam announced the departure of Sander Slootweg from its Board of Directors, effective July 16, 2024.
"On behalf of the NewAmsterdam team, we are delighted to welcome Wouter and Mark to our Board of Directors. Wouter's strategic leadership of Forbion's public market investment strategy and his history with NewAmsterdam will be valuable as we approach our expected pivotal Phase 3 data readouts from multiple ongoing clinical trials. Additionally, we look forward to leveraging Mark's extraordinary career and deep experience in building world class organizations as we approach these expected milestones," said Michael Davidson, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of NewAmsterdam. "The Board and I would like to express our collective gratitude to Sander for his contributions and dedication to the success of the organization. We wish him the best as he focuses his attention on venture investments at Forbion."
Mr. McKenna brings over 20 years of pharmaceutical industry experience and executive leadership to NewAmsterdam's Board. He is the founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mirador Therapeutics, Inc., and currently serves as Chairman of the board of directors of Apogee Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:APGE) and a director at Spyre Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SYRE). In addition, Mr. McKenna serves as a venture partner at Arch Venture Partners and Senior Advisor at Fairmount Funds. Previously, Mr. McKenna was President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Prometheus Biosciences, Inc., which was acquired by Merck & Co., Inc. in June 2023 for approximately $10.8 billion. Earlier, Mr. McKenna was a corporate officer of Bausch Health and served as President of its subsidiary, Salix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Prior to Salix Pharmaceuticals, Mr. McKenna spent more than a decade in various roles with Bausch + Lomb, also a division of Bausch Health, most recently as Senior Vice President and General Manager of its U.S. Vision Care business. Mr. McKenna was Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year in 2023 and holds a B.S. in marketing from Arizona State University and an M.B.A. from Azusa Pacific University.
"Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to serve companies leading in innovation, witnessing firsthand the profound impact on patients and families," said Mr. McKenna. "With multiple Phase 3 trial readouts on the horizon and an exemplary management team at the helm, I believe ...