LB Pharmaceuticals Expands Governance Team, Appoints William Kane And Rekha Hemrajani To Board Of Directors

LB Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced the appointment of William Kane and Rekha Hemrajani to its Board of Directors, effective from the pricing of its initial public offering on September 10, 2025. The company highlighted that both appointments bring extensive expertise in finance, business development, product commercialization, and corporate strategy, supporting LB Pharmaceuticals as it advances its lead product candidate, LB-102. LB-102 is currently being prepared for a Phase 3 clinical trial for acute schizophrenia and a Phase 2 trial for bipolar depression, forming the foundation of the company’s pipeline, which aims to leverage LB-102’s potential as the first benzamide antipsychotic drug approved in the United States for neuropsychiatric disorders.

Heather Turner, Chief Executive Officer of LB Pharmaceuticals, noted that Mr. Kane and Ms. Hemrajani bring complementary strengths that will accelerate the company’s strategic growth as it approaches these key clinical trials. She emphasized that Ms. Hemrajani’s experience in financial operations and corporate governance, combined with Mr. Kane’s proven track record in commercializing new therapies, will provide invaluable guidance as the company works to deliver safer and more effective treatments for patients with neuropsychiatric disorders.

William Kane brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. He currently serves as President and CEO of Uniquity Bio. Previously, he was President and Chief Commercial Officer at Anthos Therapeutics through its acquisition by Novartis, Chief Commercial Officer at Karuna Therapeutics leading the commercialization strategy for Cobenfy, and held senior roles at BioXcel Therapeutics and Allergan, contributing to the launch of multiple leading branded therapeutics including Namzaric, Vraylar, and Ubrelvy. 

At Pfizer, he played a key role in the success of blockbuster products such as Zoloft, Zyrtec, and Celebrex. Mr. Kane holds an MBA from The Wharton School and a B.A. in Government from Connecticut College. He commented on his appointment, expressing enthusiasm for LB-102’s clinical potential, highlighting its combination of clinical activity, tolerability, and convenient dosing, and noted his commitment to supporting the company’s development efforts.

Rekha Hemrajani currently serves on the boards of ALX Oncology, BioAge Labs, and MaxCyte. She has held leadership roles including CEO of Aravive, COO and CFO of Arcus Biosciences, COO of RAPT Therapeutics, and CFO of Sagimet Biosciences. She also led Licensing and M&A at Onyx Pharmaceuticals before its acquisition by Amgen and managed Business Development at Exelixis. 

Ms. Hemrajani holds a B.S. in Economics and Computer Science from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She expressed excitement about partnering with LB Pharmaceuticals during this critical phase, noting that the strong data from the Phase 2 clinical trial of LB-102 provides a solid foundation for further development and highlighting her commitment to guiding the company toward meaningful impact for patients and physicians.