Augustine Therapeutics appoints Industry Veteran Pascale Witz as Chair of its Board of Directors
New Chair brings more than three decades of life sciences industry experience, with a successful track record as a biotech company board member
Significant leadership experience will be instrumental as Augustine transitions into a clinical-stage company
LEUVEN, Belgium – 9 April 2025 – Augustine Therapeutics NV ('Augustine' or 'the Company'), a biotechnology company focused on developing new therapies for neuromuscular, neurodegenerative and cardio-metabolic diseases through the inhibition of the cytosolic Histone DeACetylase 6 (HDAC6) enzyme, today announced the appointment of Pascale Witz as Chair of its Board of Directors, effective immediately.
Pascale is a senior executive with over 30 years of experience in the life sciences industry. She was formerly Executive Vice President, Pharma Divisions, and Executive Vice President, Diabetes & Cardiovascular, at Sanofi SA, and a member of Sanofi's Executive Committee. She previously served as President & CEO at GE Pharmaceutical Diagnostics. Her expertise in strategic leadership and operational excellence will be instrumental in guiding Augustine's growth as it becomes a clinical-stage company.
Gerhard Koenig, PhD, CEO of Augustine commented: 'Having had the privilege of working with Pascale at Arkuda before the company's acquisition by Johnson & Johnson, I am delighted that she chose to join the Augustine Board as Chair. She brings exceptional senior experience and key insights which will be invaluable as Augustine grows. I look forward to continuing our successful track record of working together and her guidance will be instrumental as the Augustine team advances our pipeline for patients with neurological and cardio-metabolic diseases.'
Pascale Witz, Chair of Augustine Therapeutics added: 'I'm excited to be joining Augustine at a pivotal time for the company, following its successful €78 million / $85 million Series A financing round — an achievement that reflects strong confidence in the therapeutic potential of Augustine's HDAC6 inhibitors. These cytoplasmic regulators play a key role in processes to treat neurodegenerative and cardio-metabolic diseases, and the company is well-positioned, with experienced leadership with a proven track record, to maximize the potential of this promising science to develop innovative medicines. I look forward to working closely with the board and leadership team to drive strategic growth.'
Pascale currently serves on the board of Fresenius Medical Care AG, Revvity, Inc. and Regulus Therapeutics, Inc., where she provides governance, financial oversight, and executive mentorship. She previously served on the boards of Horizon Therapeutics plc, Tesaro Bio, Inc., and Arkuda Therapeutics, Inc., until their acquisitions by Amgen, Inc., GSK plc and Johnson & Johnson, Inc. respectively. Additionally, Pascale serves on the boards of INSEAD and of the Global Alzheimer Platform Foundation.
Pascale received a MSc in Biochemistry from INSA Lyon, and an MBA from INSEAD. She is a Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur (Knight of Honor), the highest French distinction, and has been recognized among Fortune's Top 20 Most Powerful Women in EMEA in 2014 and 2015.
Media Contacts:
Augustine TherapeuticsGerhard Koenig, CEOE-mail: info@augustinetx.com
ICR Healthcare Amber Fennell E-mail: augustinetx@icrhealthcare.com About Augustine Therapeutics
Augustine Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on the treatment of neuromuscular, neurodegenerative and cardio-metabolic diseases through its next-generation approach to selectively inhibit HDAC6. Augustine's HDAC6 inhibitors have been purposefully designed to selectively inhibit HDAC6 while preserving its beneficial non-catalytic functions. Augustine's lead program, AGT-100216, is the first selective HDAC6 inhibitor for long-term treatment of Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease. With its novel non-hydroxamate, non-hydrazide producing chemotype, Augustine's HDAC6 approach is selective, avoids the limitations of other chemotypes, and built for chronic diseases. With this novel approach, the Company will also be targeting diseases beyond CMT, including neurodegenerative and cardio-metabolic diseases. Augustine Therapeutics was founded on the ground-breaking research of Prof. Ludo Van Den Bosch from the VIB-KU Leuven in Belgium. The Company raised an oversubscribed EUR 78 million / USD 85 million Series A financing round in March 2025, led by Novo Holdings and Jeito Capital and supported by Asabys Partners, Eli Lilly and Company, AdBio partners, V-Bio Ventures, PMV, VIB, Gemma Frisius Fund, the US-based Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) Research Foundation and Newton Biocapital. For more information visit www.augustinetx.comSign in to access your portfolio
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