Exonate Appoints Olav Hellebø as Chief Executive Officer

One of Olav's main priorities will be to strengthen Exonate's leadership team and advance important clinical and business goals, including starting a Phase IIb clinical trial for the company's lead drug candidate, EXN407, which is being developed to treat diabetic eye disease.

Olav has many years of experience in the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. He has held leadership roles in ophthalmology, immunology, and oncology, and previously served as CEO of ReNeuron Group, where he helped raise $125 million in funding.

During his career, Olav has also held senior leadership positions at Schering-Plough (now part of Merck), Novartis UK, and UCB, where he led business growth, product development, and commercial operations across the US and Europe.

He currently serves on the boards of several biotechnology companies, including Oncoinvent and Cytovation, and is Chair of Blue Cell Therapeutics and ION Therapeutics. Olav graduated with highest honors in International Business Studies from Hofstra University and earned an MBA from IESE Business School.

“We are delighted to welcome Olav as CEO of Exonate," said Dr Rafiq Hasan, Chair of the Board of Directors at Exonate. "Olav combines deep scientific understanding with extensive operational and commercial leadership experience, gained across both large pharmaceutical companies and emerging biotechnology businesses. His expertise in ophthalmology, together with his proven ability to build and lead successful organisations, makes him ideally suited to guide Exonate as we continue to advance our pipeline and create value for patients. I would also like to thank Catherine Beech, one of Exonate’s co-founders, for her time as CEO, and look forward to continuing to work alongside her on the Board of Directors."

Olav Hellebø, Chief Executive Officer at Exonate, commented: “Exonate is targeting the VEGF pathway, one of the most validated pathways in retinal disease through a differentiated, topical mechanism delivered as an eye drop, rather than the intravitreal injections used today. We are now ready for a Phase IIb study with a design endorsed by regulators and a clear path to registration, in which a positive result would be confirmed by a closely mirrored Phase III. For the many patients who go untreated rather than accept injections, this is a compelling proposition.”

Read Also- Nomerra Raises $2 Mn in Round led by 14Peaks Capital