IntraBiotics Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., April 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Surrozen, Inc. (“Surrozen” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: SRZN), a company pioneering targeted therapeutics that selectively activate the Wnt pathway for tissue repair and regeneration, today announced that Eric Bjerkholt has been appointed to the Board of Directors. Surrozen’s Board of Directors now includes nine members with extensive experience across diverse disciplines in biotechnology and pharmaceutical development. Mr. Bjerkholt brings extensive business leadership experience across a broad range of roles and is currently CFO of Chinook Therapeutics. He most recently served as CFO of Aimmune Therapeutics, Inc. overseeing the financial reporting, budgeting, internal controls, investor relations, business development, facilities and information technology functions and led the acquisition of Aimmune by Nestle Health Science for $2.6 billion. He also spent 13 years at Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where in addition to CFO, he served in various capacities, including Executive Vice President of Corporate Development and Finance, Corporate Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer. Previously, Mr. Bjerkholt held senior executive finance roles at IntraBiotics Pharmaceuticals, Inc, LifeSpring Nutrition, Inc. and Age Wave, LLC and spent seven years in healthcare investment banking at J.P. Morgan & Company, Inc. He is currently a member of the board of directors and chair of the Audit Committee of CalciMedica, Inc. and member of the board of directors of Cerus Corporation. Mr. Bjerkholt holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Cand.oecon. from the University of Oslo in Norway. “We are fortunate to have someone with Eric’s diverse experience and record of accomplishments join the Surrozen Board,” said Craig Parker, Chief Executive Officer of Surrozen. “I’m confident Surrozen will benefit from Eric’s insights, strategic acumen and broad biotechnology industry experience.” “This is an exciting time to join the Surrozen Board,” said Mr. Bjerkholt. “I look forward to working with the team as they focus on developing breakthrough technologies to selectively activate the Wnt pathway in disease areas where there is significant unmet medical need.” About Surrozen Surrozen is a clinical stage biotechnology company discovering and developing drug candidates to selectively modulate the Wnt pathway. Surrozen is developing tissue-specific antibodies designed to engage the body’s existing biological repair mechanisms with a current focus on inflammatory bowel, severe liver and eye diseases. Please visit www.surrozen.com for more information. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as “will,” “plan,” “intend,” “potential,” “expect,” “could,” or the negative of these words and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Surrozen’s discovery, research and development activities, in particular its development plans for its product candidates SZN-1326, SZN-043, and SZN-413, including anticipated clinical development timelines and the availability of data, and the potential for such product candidates to be used to treat human disease. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, and on the current expectations of the management of Surrozen and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction, or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of Surrozen. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the initiation, cost, timing, progress and results of research and development activities, preclinical or and clinical trials with respect to SZN-1326, SZN-043, SZN-413 and potential future drug candidates, the Company’s ability to fund our clinical trials and development efforts, whether with existing funds or through additional fundraising; Surrozen’s ability to identify, develop and commercialize drug candidates; Surrozen’s ability to successfully complete preclinical and clinical studies for SZN-1326, SZN-043, SZN-413, or other future product candidates; the effects that arise from volatility in global economic, political, regulatory and market conditions, which may be adversely affected by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine; the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic; and all other factors discussed in Surrozen’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 under the heading “Risk Factors,” and other documents Surrozen has filed, or will file, with the Securities and Exchange Commission. If any of these risks materialize or our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that Surrozen presently does not know, or that Surrozen currently believes are immaterial, that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect Surrozen’s expectations, plans, or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this press release. Surrozen anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its assessments to change. However, while Surrozen may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Surrozen specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Surrozen’s assessments of any date after the date of this press release. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements. Investor Contact:Investorinfo@surrozen.com

Senior Financial Leader is Company’s Second C-Level Hire in 2022 SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ancora Heart, Inc., a company developing a novel device-based therapy to address heart failure (HF), today announced that David J. Tucker has joined the company as chief financial officer. He will direct the company’s financial strategies and operations as it continues to enroll patients in the CORCINCH-HF pivotal clinical trial, which is evaluating the AccuCinch® Ventricular Restoration System, the only completely transcatheter procedure to treat the enlarged left ventricle for patients with symptomatic heart failure and a reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Tucker represents the company’s second C-suite hire in the last four months, following the addition of Mark Miles as chief commercial officer in June. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: Ancora Heart announces David J. Tucker has joined the company as Chief Financial Officer. “David’s experience includes providing financial leadership across a broad spectrum of companies at a variety of stages, including both public and private life sciences organizations, and we are thrilled to have him join our team,” said Jeff Closs, president and CEO of Ancora Heart. “While our current clinical focus is on the CORCINCH-HF pivotal trial, we are also looking toward the future, which includes a goal of eventual commercialization. David’s expertise in financial planning, operations, and fundraising for organizations pioneering novel therapeutics make him an excellent person to have at the helm of our finance function during this next phase of growth.” A fundamentally different and innovative device-based therapy, the AccuCinch System is designed to improve the structure and function of the heart and help bring relief to patients with heart failure who remain symptomatic despite current guideline-directed medical care. “Ancora Heart is at a very exciting point in its growth pathway, and I am excited to be joining the team at this stage,” said Tucker. “The core values of the Ancora team, which are focused on helping patients live healthier lives, align strongly with my own. I believe that the AccuCinch System has great potential as a treatment option for patients with heart failure and look forward to this opportunity to provide financial leadership to the company.” Tucker brings nearly 20 years of experience providing financial leadership for life sciences companies to his role as chief financial officer. Prior to joining Ancora Heart, he served as vice president of finance at Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc., which he joined in 2015. Tucker is also president and chairman of the Board of the Northern California Chapter of the Association of Bioscience Financial Officers, a position he has held since 2017. Previously, Tucker served as vice president of finance at Sunesis Pharmaceuticals and as principal accounting officer at CymaBay Therapeutics. He also held similar positions at Nuvelo and IntraBiotics Pharmaceuticals. Tucker qualified as a chartered accountant in the UK while at Ernst & Young and holds a BS in mathematics from the University of Bristol, England. About the AccuCinch® Ventricular Restoration System The AccuCinch System is an investigational device designed to augment the existing care cardiologists provide their heart failure (HF) patients. For patients in whom HF has progressed beyond the ability of medications and pacemakers to manage symptoms, the AccuCinch System may provide a new treatment option to fill the gap between medication or pacemaker therapy and left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) or a heart transplant. During the minimally invasive transcatheter AccuCinch System procedure, a flexible implant is attached to the inner wall of the left ventricle and then cinched. The implant is intended to reduce the size of the left ventricle, reduce ventricular wall stress, and support and strengthen the heart wall. By directly treating the left ventricle, the AccuCinch System may help reduce symptoms, improve quality of life and potentially increase life expectancy. The CORCINCH-HF pivotal trial is underway, designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the AccuCinch® Ventricular Restoration System in patients who have symptomatic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04331769). This study is being conducted to support the submission of a Premarket Approval (PMA) application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. About Ancora Heart Ancora Heart is a medical device company dedicated to providing new treatment options for people with heart failure (HF). The company’s proprietary AccuCinch® Ventricular Restoration System is the only completely transcatheter device designed to restore the structure and function of the enlarged left ventricle of the heart, thereby addressing the fundamental issue in the progression of heart failure in patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Ancora Heart is a privately held company located in Santa Clara, Calif. For more information, please visit and connect on Twitter (@AncoraHeart), LinkedIn and Facebook.