Klein Hersh Recruits CFO for Apogee Therapeutics

January 27, 2023 – Horsham, PA-based Klein Hersh International, an executive search firm focused on the life sciences and healthcare industries, has placed Jane Pritchett Henderson as chief financial officer of biotechnology company Apogee Therapeutics, which provides therapies for immunological and inflammatory disorders. Ms. Henderson has an extensive track record in financial and corporate strategy leadership, including financing private and public companies, partnering and M&A, and building teams and operations. She previously served as CFO and chief business officer at Invivyd Therapeutics where she led the company’s Series C crossover financing and subsequent IPO.

“Jane is a highly accomplished leader and multiple time CFO with significant expertise in corporate strategy and finance in the healthcare sector, and we are excited to welcome her to our leadership team,” said Dr. Michael Henderson, CEO of Apogee Therapeutics. “Her unique combination of experience as a seasoned biopharmaceutical executive and investment banker will help propel Apogee forward in its mission to advance medicines to the clinic for patients living with a range of immunological conditions.”

Ms. Henderson has a combination of more than 34 years’ experience in growing public and private biopharmaceutical companies and investment banking, as well as extensive board experience. Ms. Henderson has held executive leadership roles in finance and corporate development at numerous public and private biotechnology companies including Invivyd Therapeutics (formerly Adagio Therapeutics), Turnstone Biologics, Voyager Therapeutics, Kolltan Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Celldex) and ISTA Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Bausch + Lomb). In addition, Ms. Henderson has extensive healthcare investment banking experience including the execution of more than 95 mergers and acquisitions and financing deals across various senior roles at HSBC Holdings, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Lehman Brothers, and Salomon Brothers.

Better Treatment Options

“I am passionate about working with companies that can change the lives of patients, and Apogee has made impressive progress in quickly advancing a therapeutics pipeline that has the potential to provide better treatment options for patients and their physicians,” said Ms. Henderson. “I look forward to partnering with Michael and the team and leveraging my experience to drive Apogee’s financial strategy and maximize shareholder value while progressing our lead candidate, APG777, toward the clinic.”

The appointment of Ms. Henderson comes in the wake of Apogee’s announcement of a $149 million Series B financing in December. The financing was co-led by Deep Track Capital and RTW Investments. Other investors included funds and accounts advised by Fidelity Management & Research Company, OrbiMed, Perceptive Xontogeny Ventures Fund II, RA Capital Management, and Wellington Management. Founding investors, Fairmount and Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners, also participated in the oversubscribed Series B financing.

Apogee Therapeutics is building a pipeline of product candidates targeting clinically validated biology and well-established development pathways. The company was founded in 2022 by Fairmount and Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners and is backed by leading healthcare investors. Through a strategic partnership with Paragon Therapeutics, Apogee has the option for exclusive development and commercial rights to a suite of top-tier antibodies which have been specifically engineered to target some of the largest and highest unmet needs facing people with immunological and inflammatory disorders. Apogee intends to file at least one Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration each year over the next three years, beginning in 2023, and anticipates providing additional information on its four pipeline programs next year.

Life Sciences and Healthcare Focused

Established in 1998, Klein Hersh works with global pharmaceutical, biotech, and healthcare companies as well as operating businesses of PE and VC-backed investments. Among the firm’s clients are a Who’s Who list of biopharma, biotechnology, life sciences, healthcare, therapeutics, and venture capital & private equity concerns,  including CVS Health, Andreesen Horowitz, Elevate Bio, KKR, Novo Holdings, Talaris Therapeutics, Atlas Venture, Veradigm, Versant, Cognizant, Francisco Partners, Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Adicet Bio, Arvinas, Third Rock, Riverside, Signet Healthcare Partners, Black Diamond Therapeutics, Clear Choice, Limelight Bio, and Rhythm Pharmaceuticals, among others.

In 2021, New State Capital Partners, based in Larchmont, NY, took an equity investment stake in Klein Hersh. New State is an entrepreneurial-minded private equity firm that prides itself on a long-term outlook, approaching each potential investment as an opportunity to create lasting and valuable relationships with company founders and especially independent sponsors. The firm has the ability to invest up to $100 million in equity per transaction and seeks to invest in market-leading companies with $8 million to $40 million of EBITDA in the areas of business services, industrials, and consumer.

Related: Private Equity Firm Takes Majority Stake in Bullhorn

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media

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