Tyra Biosciences Announces Appointments of Susan Moran, M.D., M.S.C.E. and S. Michael Rothenberg, M.D., Ph.D. to its Board of Directors

May 7, 2024 |

6 min read

Tyra Biosciences, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing next-generation precision medicines that target large opportunities in Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor biology, announced changes to its Board of Directors with the appointments of Susan Moran, M.D., M.S.C.E. and S. Michael Rothenberg, M.D., Ph.D. as independent directors, and the resignation of Isan Chen, M.D.

CARLSBAD, Calif., May 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Tyra Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: TYRA), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing next-generation precision medicines that target large opportunities in Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor (FGFR) biology, today announced changes to its Board of Directors with the appointments of Susan Moran, M.D., M.S.C.E. and S. Michael Rothenberg, M.D., Ph.D. as independent directors, and the resignation of Isan Chen, M.D. The changes are effective immediately.

“Susan and Michael’s impressive careers will provide TYRA with valuable guidance as we advance our potential next-generation precision candidates toward people in need. We have a unique opportunity to develop TYRA-300 for skeletal dysplasias and oncology, which aligns well with Susan and Michael’s extensive expertise in FGFR3 biology. Susan led the development and approval of infigratinib and Michael is an experienced oncologist who led the successful development of several targeted oncology drugs while at Loxo Oncology and Pfizer,” said Todd Harris, CEO of TYRA.

Dr. Moran has over 20 years of industry and academic experience, successfully leading clinical trials from Phase 1 to Phase 3, as well as overseeing NDA and MAA submissions for various investigational products, including the successful approval of Nerlynx. Dr. Moran most recently served as the Chief Medical Officer of RayzeBio, a clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical therapeutics company (acquired by Bristol Meyers Squibb in February 2024). Prior to RayzeBio, she was Chief Medical Officer of QED Therapeutics, an affiliate of BridgeBio Pharma, where she oversaw the clinical development of infigratinib, leading to approval of Truseltiq. Before QED, Dr. Moran was VP and Head of Clinical Development at Puma Biotechnology and previously held senior positions at Takeda (previously Millennium) and Sanofi (former Genzyme). Dr. Moran has played roles in the development, registration, and post-marketing support of products for a number of solid tumors, including bile duct, urothelial, and liver cancer, among others, as well as multiple sclerosis, achondroplasia, and other disorders. She is a board-certified internist and has served on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Moran received her B.A. from the University of Virginia, M.D. from Duke University, and M.S. in Clinical Epidemiology from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Dr. Moran currently serves on the board of directors of BioAtla, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company.

“I am pleased to join as a director of TYRA at this important phase in the Company’s maturation,” said Dr. Moran. “I look forward to leveraging my experience in achondroplasia and oncology, and working with the Board and accomplished management team to contribute to the future success of TYRA.”

Dr. Rothenberg is a trained oncologist who brings two decades of clinical care and drug development experience across multiple therapeutic modalities to the TYRA board spanning target identification through approval. Dr. Rothenberg currently serves as the Chief Medical Officer of insitro, a machine learning-powered drug discovery and development company, where he leads all aspects of clinical development. Prior to insitro, he was vice president of early oncology development and clinical research at Pfizer, where he oversaw Pfizer’s oncology and hematology early clinical development portfolio, advancing more than 20 first-in-patient clinical trials, including supervising elranatamab (Elrexfio™, a bispecific antibody) through the first-in-human trial to human proof-of-concept. Prior to Pfizer, he was Vice President of Research and Development at Loxo Oncology, where he led early clinical development for novel, targeted anticancer therapies, including the approved RET inhibitor RETEVMO® (selpercatinib). He previously served as a medical oncologist and researcher focused on targeted therapeutics at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Rothenberg received his B.A. from Yale University and his M.D. and Ph.D. from Stanford University.

Dr. Rothenberg added, “TYRA has an exceptional in-house precision medicine platform, and I am excited about the clinical potential of its pipeline. I am thrilled to join the Board and look forward to utilizing my experience as an oncologist and targeted drug developer to help TYRA navigate its next stages of growth.”

In connection with these appointments, Dr. Chen, who has served as a director since June 2020, has resigned from the TYRA Board. “On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Isan for his many contributions to TYRA. Isan played an important role as an original investor and supported the initial development of our technology and pipeline,” said Robert More, Chairman of the TYRA Board.

About Tyra Biosciences

Tyra Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: TYRA) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing next-generation precision medicines that target large opportunities in FGFR biology. The Company’s in-house precision medicine platform, SNÅP, enables rapid and precise drug design through iterative molecular SNÅPshots that help predict genetic alterations most likely to cause acquired resistance to existing therapies. TYRA’s initial focus is on applying its accelerated small molecule drug discovery engine to develop therapies in targeted oncology and genetically defined conditions. TYRA is based in Carlsbad, CA.

For more information about our science, pipeline and people, please visit www.tyra.bio and engage with us on LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

TYRA cautions you that statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations and include, but are not limited to: the potential to develop next-generation precision medicines and the opportunity to develop TYRA-300 for achondroplasia and oncology. Actual results may differ from those set forth in this press release due to the risks and uncertainties inherent in our business, including, without limitation: we are early in our development efforts, have only recently begun testing TYRA-300 and TYRA-200 for oncology in clinical trials and the approach we are taking to discover and develop drugs based on our SNÅP platform is novel and unproven and it may never lead to product candidates that are successful in clinical development or approved products of commercial value; potential delays in the commencement, enrollment, data readouts and completion of preclinical studies and clinical trials; results from preclinical studies or early clinical trials not necessarily being predictive of future results; our dependence on third parties in connection with manufacturing, research and preclinical testing; acceptance by the FDA of INDs or of similar regulatory submissions by comparable foreign regulatory authorities for the conduct of clinical trials of TYRA-300 in pediatric achondroplasia; unexpected adverse side effects or inadequate efficacy of our product candidates that may limit their development, regulatory approval, and/or commercialization; and other risks described in our prior filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including under the heading “Risk Factors” in our annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent filings with the SEC. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, which is made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Contact:
Amy Conrad
aconrad@tyra.bio