Akero Therapeutics Appoints Tom Heyman to its Board of Directors
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., June 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Akero Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: AKRO), a cardio-metabolic non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) company developing pioneering medicines designed to restore metabolic balance and improve the overall health of NASH patients, today announced the appointment of Tom Heyman to its board of directors as an independent director.
"Mr. Heyman's hands-on knowledge in operational management, coupled with a keen perspective into the business development landscape, brings a unique and valued viewpoint to our company," said Andrew Cheng, M.D., Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Akero Therapeutics. "The Akero leadership team very much looks forward to working with Mr. Heyman as we advance AKR-001 for the potential treatment for NASH."
Mr. Heyman has a long-standing track record of leadership and management in the biopharmaceutical industry, with particular experience in business development and venture capital. Spanning his 37-year career with Johnson & Johnson, Mr. Heyman held a diverse range of leadership roles across legal, R&D, business development, general corporate management and equity investments. Previously, Mr. Heyman served as president of JJDC, the venture capital group within Johnson & Johnson, where he managed approximately $1.5 billion of capital and oversaw investments in over 120 companies. Prior to his time at JJDC, Mr. Heyman spent 23 years leading business development for Johnson & Johnson's pharmaceutical group, Janssen.
"Akero is developing one of the most exciting potential therapeutics for NASH currently in development and has thus far shown phenomenal Phase 2a data," said Mr. Heyman. "I am eager to collaborate with the board and leadership teams as we look to capitalize on this promising data and position the company for long-term success in the NASH space."
About Akero Therapeutics
Akero is a cardio-metabolic NASH company dedicated to reversing the escalating NASH epidemic by developing pioneering medicines designed to restore metabolic balance and improve overall health of NASH patients. The Company's lead product candidate, AKR-001, is currently being evaluated in an ongoing Phase 2a clinical trial. Akero Therapeutics is headquartered in South San Francisco, CA. For more information, please visit www.akerotx.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the Company's business plans and objectives, including future plans or expectations for AKR-001; Akero's Phase 2a BALANCED study, including its results; the potential impact of COVID-19 on strategy, future operations, enrollment and clinical trials; and our growth as a company and the anticipated contribution of the members of our board of directors to our operations and progress. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management's current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Risks that contribute to the uncertain nature of the forward-looking statements include: risks related to the impact of COVID-19 on the Company's ongoing and future operations; the Company's ability to execute on its strategy; positive results from a clinical study may not necessarily be predictive of the results of future or ongoing clinical studies; regulatory developments in the United States and foreign countries; the Company's ability to fund operations; as well as those risks and uncertainties set forth more fully under the caption "Risk Factors" in Akero's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and most recently filed Quarterly Report on 10-Q, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties and other important factors in Akero's other filings and reports with the SEC. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Akero undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.
SOURCE Akero Therapeutics, Inc.
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