IGM Biosciences Appoints M. Kathleen Behrens, Ph.D., to Board of Directors
-- Dr. Kathy Behrens brings 35 years of biotech and investment industry experience and leadership
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Jan. 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- IGM Biosciences, Inc. (IGM), a privately held biotechnology company and a global leader in the research and development of therapeutic IgM antibodies, today announced the appointment of M. Kathleen Behrens, Ph.D., to its Board of Directors. Dr. Behrens has been a pioneer in the biotech industry throughout her career, beginning as an equity research analyst at Robertson Stephens & Co. She has been an industry leader in a wide variety of roles, including equity research analyst, venture capital investor, public equity investor, entrepreneur, executive, director and public policy and industry trade group committee member.
Dr. Behrens currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors of Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. and has been a member of its Board since 2009.
"Kathy brings a unique perspective to IGM's Board – one that has been shaped by a successful career as an entrepreneur, company founder, private and public investor, director, public policy expert and management advisor across the life sciences industry. IGM is honored to have her join us at this exciting point in our development," said Fred Schwarzer, Chief Executive Officer of IGM Biosciences. "Importantly, Kathy has first-hand experience guiding an antibody platform company from its inception as a privately held entity to a successful publicly traded company with a deep pipeline. Kathy's financial industry experience also adds a key perspective to our Board as we look to build our infrastructure and strategy for 2019 and beyond. We are very pleased that Kathy will be joining the Company, and IGM will benefit greatly from her counsel and experience."
"IGM is looking to unlock the inherent advantages that IgM antibodies may have over currently available IgG antibody treatments. It is the ingenuity and passion of companies like IGM that has excited and engaged me in this industry for the past 35 years, and it is why I remain a steadfast believer in its ability to evolve, innovate and create new products for the treatment of life-threatening human diseases," commented Dr. Behrens. "I look forward to working with IGM, and I am very excited by the prospect of witnessing its progress firsthand."
Dr. Behrens played an important role in the founding of one of the seminal antibody platform companies, Protein Design Labs, Inc. She also served as a director of the groundbreaking antibody platform company, Abgenix, Inc., from the company's early rounds of private financings through its sale to Amgen Inc. Dr. Behrens also served as a director of Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from 2009 until its sale to Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.
Dr. Behrens serves as a member of the Steering Committee of the Coalition for 21st Century Medicine, of which she was a co-founder. She has served as a member of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology ("PCAST") and as chairwoman of PCAST's subcommittee on Personalized Medicine. She has been a director on the Board on Science, Technology and Economic Policy of the National Research Council and has also served as a director, president and chairwoman of the National Venture Capital Association.
Dr. Behrens began her career in the financial services industry as an equity research analyst with Robertson Stephens & Co., where she became a general partner, managing director and venture capital investor. Dr. Behrens continued in her venture capital management capacity as a general partner for selected venture funds of RS Investments after a management-led buyout of the firm from Bank of America Corporation.
Dr. Behrens holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of California, Davis.
About IGM Biosciences, Inc.
Headquartered in Mountain View, California, IGM Biosciences, Inc. is a privately held biotechnology company that has been focused on creating and developing novel IgM antibodies that improve the treatment of cancer and other diseases since 2010. IGM Biosciences is working to develop IgM antibodies in those clinical indications where their inherent advantages may provide substantially superior performance, as compared with IgG antibodies. For more information about IGM Biosciences, its technologies or its antibody pipeline, please visit www.igmbio.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations and are subject to certain factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, outcome of events, timing and performance to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. The information contained in this press release is believed to be current as of the date of original issue. IGM Biosciences expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based.
SOURCE IGM Biosciences, Inc.
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