CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Aug. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avalyn Pharma Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on development of inhaled therapies for life-threatening pulmonary diseases, today announced the appointment of Erin Lavelle, former chief operating officer and chief financial officer of ProfoundBio, as an independent member of its Board of Directors. Ms. Lavelle will also serve as Chair of the Audit Committee.

“I am thrilled to welcome Erin to our Board. Her extensive experience as a biopharma executive brings invaluable insights that will greatly benefit Avalyn as we continue to grow and evolve to a late-stage clinical company,” said Lyn Baranowski, chief executive officer of Avalyn. “Throughout her distinguished career, Erin has excelled in executing strategic transactions, securing successful financing – both private and public – and commercializing novel medicines in the US and abroad. Her expertise, along with that of our other premier Board members, will be a tremendous asset in our journey ahead.”

“Avalyn’s pipeline of novel inhaled therapies has the potential to transform the treatment paradigm of rare and life-threatening pulmonary diseases,” said Ms. Lavelle. “The company is at an exciting juncture, and I look forward to leveraging my experience with clinical-stage companies to help guide the company’s strategy and growth. I am eager to collaborate with the talented leadership team and fellow Board directors to further the company’s mission to deliver these vital therapies to patients in urgent need.”

Erin Lavelle is an accomplished biopharma executive with over 25 years of strategic and operational leadership experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. Most recently as the chief operating officer and chief financial officer of ProfoundBio, Ms. Lavelle led the company’s $1.8 billion acquisition by Genmab and the $112 million oversubscribed Series B financing preceding the acquisition, and spearheaded the company’s public company readiness efforts. Before joining ProfoundBio, Ms. Lavelle served as chief operating officer and chief financial officer at Eliem Therapeutics, where she executed a combined $150 million Series B financing and initial public offering. Prior to Eliem, Ms. Lavelle was the chief operating officer at Alder BioPharmaceuticals, where she led the company’s $2.3 billion acquisition by H. Lundbeck A/S. Prior to Alder, she held a variety of roles of increasing responsibility during 15 years at Amgen and was a healthcare investment banker at Merrill Lynch & Co. She received her BA in Economics from Yale University.

About Avalyn Pharma
Avalyn is a biopharmaceutical company developing inhaled therapies for the treatment of rare respiratory diseases including pulmonary fibrosis and other interstitial lung diseases (ILD). Pulmonary fibrosis is characterized by scarring of lung tissue, decline in lung function, reduced exercise capacity and quality of life, and is associated with increased mortality. Currently approved therapeutic options slow pulmonary fibrosis progression but are associated with significant toxicities that restrict their use and dosing. Avalyn is developing a pipeline of new inhaled formulations of approved medicines designed to reduce systemic exposure and deliver medication to the site of disease. Avalyn’s pipeline is led by AP01, an optimized inhaled formulation of pirfenidone, which has been assessed in 150 individuals with different forms of pulmonary fibrosis and demonstrated clinical proof-of-concept with improved efficacy and safety over existing therapies. For more information, please visit avalynpharma.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

Investor Contact:
Monique Allaire
THRUST Strategic Communications
monique@thrustsc.com