LAUSANNE, Switzerland and SAN DIEGO – July 15, 2024 – HAYA Therapeutics, SA, a company developing RNA-guided programmable precision medicines focused on long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), today announced that Eric Adam, Ph.D. has joined as Chief Operating Officer (COO). With over 25 years of experience in health technology and healthcare sectors, Eric joins HAYA’s team in Lausanne after serving as Global Head of Operations within Neuroscience and Rare Diseases in Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED) at Roche. As COO, Dr. Adam’s will help HAYA streamline operations to support scalable growth and international expansion, ensuring the company continues to lead in precision RNA-targeted therapeutics and supporting the development of strategic partnerships and product portfolio initiatives.

“Eric brings a wealth of biopharma expertise to oversee core operational functions including business development and strategic collaborations, human resources, finance, IT, communications and quality assurance. His career spans scientific and entrepreneurial roles in the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology, medical device companies and significant contributions in the non-profit arena, which will help as we bring our first program, HTX-001 into the clinic. We welcome Eric to the HAYA family,” said Samir Ounzain, Ph.D., Co-founder and CEO of HAYA Therapeutics.

While at Roche, Dr. Adam boosted the company’s neuroscience portfolio value through successful partnerships and drug discovery initiatives and established the first-ever “cross-Roche” joint neuroscience program across various modalities. Previously he served as Director, Strategic Alliances at Otsuka Pharmaceuticals Japan, where he was responsible for strategic business alliances and drug clinical advancement, helping bring Otsuka’s Deltyba to market. Dr. Adam also contributed to Syrrx, Inc in San Diego, where he leveraged high-throughput protein structure determination using genomics, process development and protein purification in partnership with industry leaders. Overall, Dr. Adam joined the founding teams of three organizations focused on antimicrobial resistance, including two biotechnology start-ups and a non-profit promoting access to essential medical care in developing countries. He also has diagnostics experience with the Gates Foundation-funded FIND organization, where he developed and launched life-saving tuberculosis tests in 27 low- and middle-income countries. He holds a Ph.D. in Biotechnology from the University of Paris XI and postgraduate training in business administration from HEC Paris business school.

“I thrive on driving cultural shifts, fostering innovation, and boosting team performance to deliver successful portfolios. At HAYA I aim to translate complex research into clear priorities and decisions at the C-level keeping the bigger picture – patients and the pipeline – in mind. Together we will push the boundaries of scientific discovery beyond the amazing work that has been already achieved building on HAYA's legacy of innovation and rigor within its inclusive environment,” commented Dr. Adam.

About HAYA Therapeutics

HAYA Therapeutics is a precision medicines company developing programmable therapeutics targeting regulatory RNAs derived from the dark genome, a cell information processing unit, to reprogram pathological cell states for a broad range of diseases, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. The company is using its innovative platform to gain novel insights into the biology of disease cell states and the long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that regulate them. HAYA’s lead therapeutic candidate is HTX-001, an antisense oligonucleotide targeting Wisper that is a heart-specific lncRNA known to be a fundamental regulator of pathological cardiac fibrosis in the context of heart failure. The company is also developing a pipeline of lncRNA-targeting precision therapies for the cell-specific treatment of diseases in other tissues and disease areas, including the lungs and the tumor microenvironment.

Headquartered at the life sciences park Biopôle in Lausanne, Switzerland with laboratory facilities at JLABS @ San Diego, HAYA is led by a world-class team of experts in programmable and precision RNA-targeted therapeutics and is supported by a strong investor consortium. HAYA’s mission is to identify and develop breakthrough disease-modifying therapeutics with the potential for greater efficacy, safety, and accessibility than existing treatments. For more information on the company, please visit our website at www.hayatx.com. Follow us on X and LinkedIn.

Media Contacts:

Tim Ingersoll

Email: tim@linndencom.com