SAN FRANCISCO and WALTHAM, Mass., Sept. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apogee Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: APGE), a clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing novel biologics with potential for differentiated efficacy and dosing in the largest inflammatory and immunology (I&I) markets, including for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD), asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other I&I indications, today announced the appointment of Jeff S. Hartness as Chief Commercial Officer. Mr. Hartness has an extensive track record in commercial and corporate leadership, bringing more than 25 years of experience in the biotech industry focused on product launches, market access strategy, pricing and policy.

“Jeff is a highly accomplished leader with broad commercial expertise in large markets during his tenure at Bausch and Sanofi, and I am pleased to welcome him to our leadership team,” said Michael Henderson, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Apogee. “His unique experience, particularly in leading launch strategies for one of the industry’s largest and most successful portfolios, combined with his expertise in navigating both emerging markets like atopic dermatitis and more established markets like plaque psoriasis, ulcerative colitis and diabetes, will be invaluable as we progress potentially best-in-class treatments, with a critical data readout and rapid acceleration of our pipeline anticipated over the next year.”

Mr. Hartness joins Apogee from Bausch Health, where he held roles of increasing responsibility over eight years, most recently serving as Executive Vice President on the Global Executive Leadership Team, leading the company’s market access, commercial operations, policy and government affairs teams, as well as General Manager of the Neurology portfolio and the Generics businesses. He previously served as Sr. Vice President and Head of Strategic Account Management, Pricing, Contracting and Distribution, responsible for planning and implementing the company’s payer and Go-to-Market strategy. Prior to joining Bausch Health, Mr. Hartness spent 15 years at Sanofi Pharmaceuticals focused on market access, leading national and regional account management teams and launch execution, ultimately serving as Head of Sanofi’s PBMs, Employers and Specialty Distribution. Mr. Hartness began his career at Pfizer and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hanover College. He is a Certified Health Insurance Executive through Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and currently serves on the boards of Corganics and Bryn Pharma.

“Apogee is uniquely positioned to address a critical unmet need for patients living with I&I conditions and has the potential to improve both the standard of care and day-to-day lives of this significant patient population,” said Mr. Hartness. “I am thrilled to be joining Apogee at this pivotal moment in the company’s development and to lead the commercial strategy in a developing market with therapeutics that could potentially become leading treatments for AD and other I&I diseases. I look forward to partnering with Michael and the team to contribute to the company’s important mission.”

About Apogee

Apogee Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing novel biologics with potential for differentiated efficacy and dosing in the largest inflammatory and immunology (I&I) markets, including for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD), asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other I&I indications. Apogee’s antibody programs are designed to overcome limitations of existing therapies by targeting well-established mechanisms of action and incorporating advanced antibody engineering to optimize half-life and other properties. APG777, the company’s most advanced program, is being initially developed for the treatment of AD, which is the largest and one of the least penetrated I&I markets. With four validated targets in its portfolio, Apogee is seeking to achieve best in class efficacy and dosing through monotherapies and combinations of its novel antibodies. Based on a broad pipeline and depth of expertise, the company believes it can deliver value and meaningful benefit to patients underserved by today’s standard of care. For more information, please visit https://apogeetherapeutics.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including, but not limited to, statements regarding: Apogee’s plans for its current and future product candidates and programs; its plans for current and future clinical trials; and the potential clinical benefit and half-life of APG777, Apogee’s other product candidates, and any other potential programs, including combination therapies. Words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “objective,” “intend,” “should,” “could,” “can,” “would,” “expect,” “believe,” “design,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “develop,” “plan” or the negative of these terms, and similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. While Apogee believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to the company on the date of this release. These forward-looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties (including, without limitation, those set forth in Apogee’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC)), many of which are beyond the company’s control and subject to change. Actual results could be materially different. Risks and uncertainties include: global macroeconomic conditions and related volatility, expectations regarding the initiation, progress, and expected results of Apogee’s preclinical studies, clinical trials and research and development programs; expectations regarding the timing, completion and outcome of Apogee’s clinical trials; the unpredictable relationship between preclinical study results and clinical study results; the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals; liquidity and capital resources; and other risks and uncertainties identified in Apogee’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on March 5, 2024, Quarterly Report on 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2024, filed with the SEC on August 12, 2024, and subsequent disclosure documents we may file with the SEC. Apogee claims the protection of the Safe Harbor contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 for forward-looking statements. Apogee expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter any statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Investor Contact:
Noel Kurdi
VP, Investor Relations
Apogee Therapeutics, Inc.
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Media Contact:
Dan Budwick
1AB Media
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