Valion Bio names board member Dean Zikria as interim CEO

Valion Bio, Inc. (NASDAQ: VBIO), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, has appointed board member Dean Zikria as interim chief executive officer, according to a company statement.

Zikria, whose career includes co-inventing therapeutics at Columbia University Medical Center and seven years at Pfizer in strategy and business development roles within its cardiovascular division, will oversee the company's strategic priorities, including the clinical advancement of its lead drug candidate, Entolimod, and pursuit of commercial and government partnerships.

Lisa Wolf will remain in her roles as president, chief operating officer and chief financial officer, reporting to Zikria.

The company also announced that Thomas Jensen has been appointed chair of the board and chair of its compensation committee, succeeding Sheryle Bolton, who has stepped down from the board. Jared Malbin has been appointed chair of the board's audit committee.

"These transitions establish clear accountability and strengthen alignment between our Board and management team as Valion enters an important stage of its development," Jensen said in the statement.

Entolimod is being developed as a potential medical countermeasure for acute radiation syndrome and has received Fast Track and Orphan Drug designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The company is also developing Entolasta, a next-generation TLR5 agonist for potential use in oncology supportive care and other applications.

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