Dianthus Therapeutics Expands Board Of Directors With The Appointment Of Simon Read, Ph.D.

Dianthus Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing next-generation antibody complement therapies for severe autoimmune diseases, has announced the appointment of Simon Read, Ph.D., to its Board of Directors. At the same time, the company shared that Lonnie Moulder will be stepping down from the Board.

Dr. Read brings more than 30 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry and is a seasoned entrepreneur. Most recently, he was the CEO and founder of Mariana Oncology until the company was acquired by Novartis. Before that, he served as Chief Scientific Officer at Ra Pharma, which was acquired by UCB Pharma. His earlier career includes important R\&D leadership roles at GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, and Roche/Genentech. During this time, he contributed to the clinical development of well-known immunology drugs such as Rituxan® and Actemra®.

Alison Lawton, Chair of the Dianthus Therapeutics Board of Directors, said in a statement, “I am pleased to welcome Simon to the Dianthus Board of Directors. His wealth of experience leading biopharmaceutical companies and R&D organizations will be invaluable as Dianthus continues to advance its mid- and late-stage clinical programs. I would also like to thank Lonnie for his dedicated service to the Board. His perspective and support were instrumental during a period when Dianthus quickly grew from a private, preclinical stage company to a publicly traded company now with three ongoing clinical trials.”

Lonnie Moulder, Managing Member, Tellus BioVentures LLC and Founder, Chairman and CEO, Zenas BioPharma, stated, “I have been extremely impressed with the Dianthus team’s ability to advance a potential best-in-class complement inhibitor with significant potential since our initial seed investment in 2019. I wish continued success to Dianthus as I transition from the Board and remain confident in the team’s ability to transform the lives of patients living with severe autoimmune diseases.”

Dr. Read mentioned, “The Dianthus team has done an excellent job executing rapidly on its three clinical programs with DNTH103. This is an exciting time for the Company with Phase 2 MaGic results anticipated in September. I look forward to partnering with this exceptional team and Board of Directors as I see tremendous potential for DNTH103 as a best-in-class, differentiated therapy option for patients with severe neuromuscular conditions.”

Dr. Read is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine in the UK and currently serves as Chairman of the Board at Ethyreal Bio. He has also been a board member at Triana Biomedicines and Oxstem Ltd in the UK. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Hertfordshire and studied Physiology at the University of Manchester. Throughout his career, he has published more than 50 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals.