Ascentage Pharma Group International (NASDAQ: AAPG; HKEX: 6855) announced the strategic appointments of Dr. Veet Misra as Chief Financial Officer and Eric Huang as Senior Vice President of Global Corporate Development and Finance, as the dual-listed biopharmaceutical company positions itself for accelerated global growth.
Both executives will report directly to Chairman and CEO Dr. Dajun Yang, who emphasized the significance of these appointments for the company's evolution. "As an innovative biopharmaceutical company dual listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, Ascentage Pharma is entering a phase of notable growth," Dr. Yang stated. "The addition of these seasoned executives will help accelerate the implementation of our global strategy of becoming a leading, fully integrated global biopharmaceutical company."
Executive Expertise and Strategic Value
Dr. Misra brings a unique combination of deep scientific expertise and extensive capital markets experience to Ascentage Pharma. With over 20 years in investment banking, he most recently served as Managing Director in the Healthcare Investment Banking group at Cantor Fitzgerald, where he covered the biopharmaceutical sector. His career includes positions at Houlihan Lokey and RBC Capital Markets, where he advised on equity, debt, M&A transactions, and corporate strategy primarily focused on biotechnology companies.
"I am confident that Veet's unique blend of scientific acumen and capital markets expertise can help us garner stronger traction in the global capital markets and strengthen our operations," Dr. Yang noted. Dr. Misra holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology with an oncology focus from the University of Toronto and an MBA in Finance & Strategy from the Schulich School of Business.
Eric Huang contributes over 20 years of multinational pharmaceutical experience, having most recently served as Chief Financial Officer for Greater China and Asia-Pacific at BeiGene, where he led Global Technical Operations Finance and Global Commercial Finance. His previous experience includes serving as head of finance for multiple countries and regions at Novartis. "Eric's experience will help drive excellence in Ascentage Pharma's corporate operations as the Company continues to make headway in expanding globally," Dr. Yang explained.
Pipeline Advancement and Global Trials
Ascentage Pharma has established itself as a leader in apoptosis-targeted therapies, with a robust pipeline including inhibitors targeting key proteins in the apoptotic pathway such as Bcl-2 and MDM2-p53, along with next-generation kinase inhibitors.
The company's lead asset, olverembatinib, represents the first novel third-generation BCR-ABL1 inhibitor approved in China for treating chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients with T315I mutations and those resistant or intolerant to first and second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The drug is covered by China's National Reimbursement Drug List and is currently being evaluated in an FDA-cleared global registrational Phase III trial (POLARIS-2) for CML, as well as global Phase III trials for newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia and SDH-deficient gastrointestinal stromal tumors.
The second lead asset, lisaftoclax, is a novel Bcl-2 inhibitor for various hematologic malignancies. China's National Medical Products Administration has accepted the New Drug Application for treating relapsed and/or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia and small lymphocytic lymphoma with Priority Review designation. The company is conducting four global registrational Phase III trials: GLORA (lisaftoclax with BTK inhibitors in CLL/SLL patients), GLORA-2 (newly diagnosed CLL/SLL), GLORA-3 (newly diagnosed elderly AML patients), and GLORA-4 (newly diagnosed higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes).
Strategic Partnerships and Market Position
Ascentage Pharma has built an extensive network of global partnerships with leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, including Takeda, AstraZeneca, Merck, Pfizer, and Innovent. The company also maintains research and development relationships with premier institutions such as Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Mayo Clinic, National Cancer Institute, and the University of Michigan.
Dr. Misra expressed enthusiasm about joining the company, stating, "Ascentage Pharma is a global leader in apoptosis-targeted therapies. Its dual listing in Hong Kong and the U.S. reflects strong recognition of the Company in these two premier markets. I look forward to working with my colleagues to accelerate the global development of the Company's innovative pipeline and create sustained value for patients and shareholders."
Mr. Huang highlighted the company's strategic positioning, noting, "The strategic partnership with Takeda and the dual listing in Hong Kong and the U.S. have created a sound foundation for global expansion. I look forward to working closely with the Company's management team to further improve operations and efficiently integrate the Company's existing resources to accelerate the global development and commercialization of its core assets."
