Avalyn Pharma Appoints Lyn Baranowski Chief Executive Officer

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Avalyn Pharma Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on development of targeted therapies for life-threatening pulmonary diseases, announced the appointment of Lyn Baranowski as chief executive officer. Ms. Baranowski brings more than two decades of experience leading a vast array of functions in biotech, big pharma and venture capital firms.

“My colleagues and I would like to express our gratitude to Dr. Montgomery, who brought Avalyn’s lead programs successfully into clinical studies. Under his leadership, Avalyn built a strong scientific foundation, from which it will be well positioned to advance its business and clinical development objectives,” stated Niall O’Donnell, chairman of the Avalyn board of directors. “We look forward to working with Ms. Baranowski, whose operational and strategic experience will be of vital importance as we enter this next phase of our evolution.”

Ms. Baranowski added, “Throughout my career, I have been driven by a passion to bring new respiratory medicines to patients with serious lung diseases who desperately need them. Avalyn’s portfolio of inhaled products impressed me with its potential to target important pulmonary medicines directly to the site of disease, sparing unnecessary systemic tissue exposure. I am looking forward to working with and building the Avalyn team to advance the company’s exciting clinical stage assets and build out our pipeline.”

Prior to joining Avalyn, Ms. Baranowski served as chief operating officer at Altavant Sciences, a biopharmaceutical company developing a portfolio of therapies for rare respiratory diseases. Earlier in her career, she served in senior-level corporate development and commercial roles, including vice president of commercial development at Pearl Therapeutics, which successfully developed a portfolio of COPD drugs prior to its sale to AstraZeneca for $1.15 Billion in 2013; and vice president in a healthcare-focused venture capital firm based in New York. She had previously held roles in business development, marketing and public affairs with Novartis Pharmaceuticals in Switzerland and the U.S.

She earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Arts from American University. In addition to her role at Avalyn, Ms. Baranowski serves on the board of directors of Rani Therapeutics, a company developing technology for the oral delivery of biologic drugs, and on the planning committee for the American Thoracic Society’s Respiratory Innovation Summit, an annual meeting that unites the innovators, investors, and clinicians who are leading the fight to create powerful new treatments for deadly and crippling diseases of the lungs and airways.

About Avalyn Pharma
Avalyn is a biopharmaceutical company developing targeted therapeutics for the treatment of rare respiratory diseases including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and other interstitial lung diseases (ILD). ILDs are characterized by scarring, decline in lung function, reduced exercise capacity and quality of life, and are associated with increased mortality. Currently approved therapeutic options slow ILD progression but are associated with significant toxicities, which restrict their use and dosing. Avalyn is developing a pipeline of inhaled therapeutics designed to reduce systemic exposure and deliver medication to the site of disease. AP01, Avalyn’s lead candidate, is an inhaled formulation of pirfenidone optimized for delivery via inhalation. In a recent clinical study of two doses assessed in 91 individuals with IPF, AP01 demonstrated the potential to improve both efficacy and safety over existing therapy. More information can be found at www.avalynpharma.com.

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