Traws Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRAW), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel therapies against respiratory viral diseases, announced today that Werner Cautreels, PhD, will retire from his position as Chief Executive Officer effective March 31, 2025. Iain D. Dukes, D Phil, the company's Executive Board Chairman, will assume the role of Interim CEO while continuing his duties as Chairman.
Dr. Cautreels will remain on Traws Pharma's Board of Directors and transition to a consulting role as special advisor to the Board for the next year. The leadership change will take effect after the company files its Annual Report on Form 10-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Leadership Transition Details
Dr. Dukes, who will step into the Interim CEO position, brings extensive experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, having held leadership roles in both public and private companies with expertise in corporate strategy and product development.
"On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to express my sincerest appreciation to Werner for his unwavering commitment and dedicated service," said Dr. Dukes. "Under his leadership, the Company completed the merger with Trawsfynydd to form Traws Pharma, advancing two exciting clinical-stage antiviral candidates for bird flu and COVID."
Dr. Cautreels reflected on his tenure: "I am grateful to the employees, advisors, investors and collaborators who have supported Traws' development and progress since the merger, just one year ago. It has been a privilege to work with such an impressive management team, and advance our bird flu and COVID programs, while garnering the support of important institutional investors."
Company Pipeline and Future Direction
Traws Pharma is developing a portfolio of oral small molecule antivirals targeting critical threats to human health from respiratory viral diseases. The company's pipeline includes clinical-stage candidates for both influenza (bird flu) and COVID-19.
Dr. Dukes expressed optimism about the company's therapeutic programs, stating, "I believe that Traws' novel antiviral programs have the potential to substantially improve the care of people with influenza and COVID."
The company plans to provide more details about its pipeline progress during an upcoming Investor Update call scheduled for March 31, 2025, at 10:00 AM ET. This call will likely offer stakeholders more insight into the company's strategic direction under the new leadership structure.
About Traws Pharma
Traws Pharma was formed through a merger with Trawsfynydd approximately one year ago. The clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focuses on developing novel therapies to address critical threats to human health from respiratory viral diseases. The company is publicly traded on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol TRAW.
The leadership transition comes at a pivotal time for the company as it continues to advance its antiviral programs through clinical development, potentially addressing significant unmet needs in the treatment of respiratory viral infections.
