ReAlta Life Sciences, Inc. (“ReAlta” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on rebalancing the inflammatory response to treat rare and acute inflammatory diseases, has announced the appointment of Dr. Lewis T. “Rusty” Williams, M.D., Ph.D., as Chairman of its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Edward A. “Buzz” Heidt Jr., who has served as Chairman since 2020, will continue his valuable role as a member of the Board.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Williams as our new Chairman,” said David Marek, Chief Executive Officer of ReAlta. “His outstanding experience in building successful biopharmaceutical companies and his deep expertise in drug development will be instrumental as ReAlta progresses its clinical programs.”
Buzz Heidt, a current member of ReAlta’s Board of Directors, added, “I’m excited to welcome Rusty to ReAlta during this pivotal time in the company’s growth. He brings a wealth of leadership and insight, and I look forward to collaborating with him as our new Board Chairman.”
“I would also like to express our deep gratitude to Buzz Heidt for his invaluable leadership over the past four years as Chairman,” said Mr. Marek. “His collaborative approach and strategic vision have set ReAlta on a path for sustained success. We look forward to his continued contributions as a Board member.”
Innovative Approach to Inflammatory Diseases
Dr. Williams shared his excitement about ReAlta’s unique approach to addressing inflammation, a critical factor in numerous diseases. “ReAlta’s dual-targeting EPICC peptides, designed to act at the earliest stages of the inflammatory cascade, offer the potential for treating inflammatory diseases in ways that existing therapies have not been able to,” he said. “I look forward to working closely with the Board and management team to help unlock the full potential of ReAlta’s technology and deliver impactful treatments for patients with severe inflammatory conditions who currently have limited therapeutic options.”
About Dr. Lewis T. Williams
Dr. Williams currently serves as Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Ten30 Biosciences and is on the Board of Protagonist Therapeutics. He previously founded and served as Chairman and CEO of Walking Fish Therapeutics and Five Prime Therapeutics (acquired by Amgen), and co-founded Cor Therapeutics (acquired by Millennium Pharmaceuticals). Dr. Williams has held senior management roles at numerous other biopharmaceutical companies, including Chiron Corporation (now part of Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics).
An esteemed academic, Dr. Williams has been a Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, where he was also the Director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute and Daiichi Research Center. He served as an Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and held faculty positions at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Williams is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has also served on the Boards of Trustees for both institutions, as well as the Berklee College of Music.
