AAVantgarde Bio Appoints Philip Lao as Senior VP To Lead Strategic Partnerships and Growth

AAVantgarde Bio, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapies for inherited retinal diseases through its proprietary Adeno-Associated Viral vector platforms, has announced the appointment of Philip Lao as Senior Vice President of Business Development. In his new role, Mr. Lao becomes part of the company’s leadership team and will report directly to Chief Executive Officer Dr. Natalia Misciattelli.

Dr. Misciattelli said that Mr. Lao brings a strong combination of genetic medicine and ophthalmology experience, along with a proven history of generating value through strategic partnerships. She noted that these strengths will be especially important as AAVantgarde continues advancing its programs in large gene delivery and expands its business development efforts. According to her, his expertise will support the company’s long-term strategic growth.

Mr. Lao expressed enthusiasm about joining AAVantgarde, emphasizing the potential of the company’s platforms to deliver transformative therapies for patients with inherited retinal diseases who currently have limited treatment options. He highlighted his commitment to expanding strategic partnerships and exploring commercial opportunities that can accelerate the development of the company’s retinal therapy pipeline and future programs.

Before joining AAVantgarde, Mr. Lao was Head of Business Development at Adverum Biotechnologies, where he played a leading role in the company’s sale to Eli Lilly in December 2025. His earlier experience includes senior roles in mergers, acquisitions, and strategic licensing at several major life sciences companies, including Novartis, Pfizer, and Takeda. In these positions, he oversaw cross-functional teams responsible for evaluating and executing complex global transactions. Mr. Lao began his career in the Healthcare Investment Banking division at Deutsche Bank and holds both a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and an MBA from the University of Chicago.