SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., March 11, 2021 -- Surrozen Inc., a biotechnology company discovering and developing drug candidates to selectively modulate the Wnt pathway, today announced the addition of Mary Haak-Frendscho, Ph.D., to the Board of Directors. Dr. Haak-Frendscho currently serves as the president and chief executive officer of Spotlight Therapeutics.
“Dr. Haak-Frendscho’s achievements as a scientist and executive in the biotechnology industry will be invaluable in guiding our growth to a clinical stage company and in expanding the therapeutic breadth of our platforms,” said Craig Parker, president and chief executive officer at Surrozen. “Our novel approach to selectively harnessing the potential of the Wnt pathway has far-reaching therapeutic potential and I look forward to Dr. Haak-Frendscho’s contributions to our mission.”
Dr. Haak-Frendscho brings over two decades of expertise in the discovery, translation and early development of novel therapeutics. Prior to Spotlight, she was a venture partner with Versant Ventures and the chief executive officer of Blueline Bioscience, Versant’s vehicle for new company creation in Canada. Earlier, Dr. Haak-Frendscho established and served as the chair of Compugen USA, Inc., was the chief executive officer of Igenica Biotherapeutics, and was the founding president and chief scientific officer of Takeda San Francisco. She began her industry career at Genentech, where she played a key role in the development of omalizumab (Xolair®).
"Surrozen’s progress validating precision modulation of Wnt signaling pathways has the potential to transform the treatment of severe disease through selective tissue regeneration. I’m excited to be joining the Surrozen Board as it begins to advance novel drug candidates into clinical development and explore the full potential of Wnt biology,” said Dr. Haak-Frendscho.
Dr. Haak-Frendscho has authored or co-authored 70 scientific publications, and is an inventor on over 40 patents. An immunologist by training, she received her B.S. from the University of Michigan, M.L.A. from Washington University, M.S. from SUNY-Stony Brook, C.S.E.P. from Columbia University Graduate School of Business, and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin.
Surrozen is a biotechnology company discovering and developing drug candidates to selectively modulate the Wnt pathway. Surrozen is developing tissue-specific antibodies designed to engage the body’s existing biological repair mechanisms with potential application across multiple disease areas, including inflammatory bowel disease, hepatitis, eye diseases, hearing loss, lung and airway diseases, and certain neurological disorders. For more information, please visit surrozen.com.
Reza Afkhami
VP, Corporate Development and Strategy
Surrozen, Inc.
reza@surrozen.com