Mr. Welch will be named Chair of the Board by the Board upon election by the shareholders at Prothena’s Annual General Meeting later this year. The scheduled changeover is a prelude to the successful 11-year tenure of Dr. Lars Ekman as Chair, during which he made noteworthy contributions to the expansion and prosperity of the Company. After Mr. Welch is appointed, as expected, Dr. Ekman will resign as chair and remain a member of the board as chair emeritus. The entire Prothena Board would like to extend their heartfelt appreciation for Dr. Ekman’s invaluable Chairship. Furthermore, Dr. Anders Harfstrand is not running for reelection at the annual meeting because his current board term ends at that event.
Dan is a well-known businessman who has extensive experience in the field, chair experience, and a strong commitment to provide patients with cutting-edge therapies. Lars G. Ekman, M.D., Ph.D., Chair of Prothena’s Board of Directors, stated, He will help guide the company during this transformative time as it continues to advance a robust pipeline in neurodegenerative and rare peripheral amyloid diseases. In order to improve the future for those in dire need of new treatment alternatives, we look forward to collaborating closely with Dan on a smooth transition made possible by our shared dedication to developing and commercializing innovative and revolutionary medicines. Additionally, he would like to express his gratitude to Dr. Harfstrand for his nine years of service and acknowledge the important contributions he made to the Prothena Board during that time.
Prothena’s strong pipeline, which is driven by patient-focused therapeutic development, amply demonstrates the company’s significant scientific knowledge in protein dysregulation. Mr. Welch expressed his excitement at joining the firm at a dynamic juncture, since there are several approaching milestones that might position Prothena as a leader in uncommon peripheral amyloid disorders and Alzheimer’s therapy approaches. He is excited to collaborate with the other board members and the Prothena team to further our goal of providing revolutionary therapies to the sickest patients.
The boards of Structure Therapeutics Inc., Nuvation Bio Inc., and Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. are chaired by Mr. Welch. He was most recently a director of Seagen Inc., which Pfizer purchased in December 2023. Prior to Novartis’ 2018 acquisition of AveXis Inc., he chaired the board and served as a director of Hyperion Therapeutics (bought by Horizon Pharma in 2015) and Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Before taking on these positions, he was an executive partner at Sofinnova Ventures, the CEO and president of InterMune, Inc. (which Roche Holdings acquired in 2014), the chair of the InterMune board, the CEO and chair of the board of Triangle Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (which Gilead Sciences acquired in 2003), and the president of Elan Corporation, PLC’s pharmaceutical division.
After completing his studies at the University of Miami, Mr. Welch went on to get his M.B.A. at the University of North Carolina.
The Board intends to lower its membership to 10 members right away following the Annual Meeting since Dr. Anders Harfstrand will not be seeking reelection at the meeting. Since 2015, Dr. Harfstrand has served as a director, and the Prothena Board as a whole recognizes and values the excellent influence he has had during his tenure.
Late-stage clinical biotechnology startup Prothena Corporation plc specializes in protein dysregulation and has a pipeline of experimental medicines that could potentially reverse the progression of rare peripheral amyloid disorders and debilitating neurodegenerative illnesses. Prothena’s ability to integrate scientific insights about neurological dysfunction and the biology of misfolded proteins can be leveraged to advance a pipeline of therapeutic candidates for various indications and novel targets. This pipeline is being driven by the company’s deep scientific expertise, which has been built over decades of research. Prothena is developing programs for the potential therapy of a range of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, AL amyloidosis, and ATTR amyloidosis, both totally owned and in partnership.
