RICHMOND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BioAge Labs, Inc. (“BioAge”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing therapeutic product candidates for metabolic diseases by targeting the biology of human aging, today announced the appointment of Jean-Pierre Garnier, PhD, as Chair of the company’s Board of Directors. Garnier will succeed current Board Chair James Healy, MD, PhD, managing partner of Sofinnova Investments, who will remain on the Board.
“We are excited to welcome JP to BioAge’s Board of Directors as Chair,” said Kristen Fortney, PhD, CEO and co-founder of BioAge Labs. “His extensive experience in leading biotech and pharmaceutical companies through critical growth phases will be invaluable as we progress our lead compound, azelaprag, through clinical development for obesity and advance our pipeline of metabolic aging therapies. I would also like to express our deep gratitude to Jim, whose leadership as Chair has been pivotal during a crucial period of growth for BioAge. We are pleased that he will continue to contribute his expertise in clinical development and drug strategy as a key member of our Board.”
“It has been a privilege to serve as Chair of BioAge’s Board of Directors and lay the foundation for the company’s transformation as a late-stage clinical company. I look forward to continuing on BioAge’s Board as a Director while lending my full support to JP in his new role,” Healy said. “JP brings exceptional operational and leadership experience as BioAge advances its pipeline for metabolic diseases.”
Garnier served as the Chief Executive Officer of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) from 2000 to 2008, overseeing the merger of Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham. Prior to GSK, Garnier held executive positions at SmithKline Beecham and Schering-Plough.
Garnier has extensive board experience, serving as Chairman of the Board of Actelion (acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 2017 for $30 billion) and as non-executive Chairman at Alzheon (2015-2018), Idorsia (2017-2020), and Carmat (2018-2022). He has also served on the Board of Directors of United Technology (1997-2020), Renault SA (2009-2016), and Radius Health (2015-2022). Garnier is currently Chairman of the Board of Cellectis SA and member of the Board of Directors of Carrier Global Corporation.
He holds a PhD in pharmacology from Louis Pasteur University and an MBA from Stanford University. He is a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire and Officier de la Légion d’Honneur of France.
“This is a transformative era for the treatment of obesity and cardiometabolic diseases, and I’m excited to support BioAge as it leads the way with innovative approaches that could reshape the future of patient care,” said Garnier. “I look forward to working alongside Kristen and BioAge’s talented leadership team to fully realize the potential of azelaprag and advance the company’s earlier stage pipeline to address diseases that limit healthspan for large patient populations.”
About BioAge Labs, Inc.
BioAge is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing therapeutic product candidates for metabolic diseases, such as obesity, by targeting the biology of human aging. BioAge’s lead product candidate, azelaprag, is an orally available small molecule agonist of APJ that was observed to promote metabolism and prevent muscle atrophy on bed rest in a Phase 1b clinical trial. In mid-2024, BioAge initiated a Phase 2 trial of azelaprag in combination with tirzepatide for the treatment of obesity in older adults. Azelaprag has potential as an oral regimen to amplify weight loss and improve body composition in patients on obesity therapy with incretin drugs. BioAge is also developing orally available small molecule brain penetrant NLRP3 inhibitors for the treatment of diseases driven by neuroinflammation. BioAge’s preclinical programs, based on novel insights from the company’s discovery platform built on human longevity data, address key pathways in metabolic aging.