Dr. Haumann brings decades of respiratory drug development expertise in advancing novel therapies for complex pulmonary diseases; Dr. Skloot further strengthens Altesa’s clinical leadership in COPD, asthma, and respiratory medicine with over 30 years in the field

Key appointments support Altesa’s execution of its multi-center Phase 2B CARDINAL clinical trial evaluating its investigational drug vapendavir as a transformational treatment for patients with COPD impacted by rhinovirus — the leading cause of acute exacerbations of COPD

ATLANTA, June 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Altesa BioSciences, a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the lives of people with chronic lung diseases including COPD and asthma, today announced two key additions to the team: Former Respiratory Medicines Development lead at GSK and seasoned biotech CMO and CEO, Dr. Brett Haumann, joins Altesa’s Board of Directors as an Independent Director, and Dr. Gwen Skloot, former Therapeutic Area Head, COPD, Asthma, and Chronic Cough at Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A., joins Altesa as Senior Vice President, Clinical Development.

“Brett and Gwen are two exceptional additions to the Altesa team at a pivotal moment for the company,” said Moncef Slaoui, Board Chair of Altesa BioSciences and former Chairman of both Global Research and Development and the vaccine division at GSK. He also served as Chief Scientific Advisor to Operation Warp Speed, the United States Government program that developed vaccines and therapeutics against COVID. “Brett’s breadth of experience in respiratory clinical development — including during our years together at GSK — makes him an outstanding addition to our board. Dr. Skloot’s clinical and research expertise in obstructive airway disease will further accelerate the advanced development of vapendavir through the CARDINAL Study.” Dr. Haumann and Dr. Skloot, Slaoui added, join a highly experienced clinical team led by Altesa’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Katharine Knobil, former Chief Medical Officer of GSK, who worked closely with both Slaoui and Haumann at GSK.

Dr. Haumann joins Altesa’s board with 30 years of industry experience and expertise serving in senior leadership roles in large pharma and biotech companies in the U.S. and U.K. For the past 15 years, he has served as Chief Medical Officer in both privately and publicly listed companies in the U.S. and U.K. including Circassia, Theravance Biopharma, ReViral, and then most recently as CEO of RIGImmune. Dr. Haumann earlier served at GSK in a variety of executive roles spanning early drug discovery to clinical development and commercialization — including anti-infectives, immunology and respiratory products. Dr. Haumann has also served as a Board member on a number of biotech companies including Autifony, Reacta, Aimmune, Aravax and Leyden Laboratories, and is an Operating Partner at SV Health Investors.

Prior to joining Altesa, in addition to her leadership role in Chiesi’s AIR division, Dr. Skloot, a board-certified pulmonologist, served on the faculty of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai as a Professor of Medicine. She maintained a large clinical practice and led clinical research focused on obstructive airway diseases and pulmonary physiology. Dr. Skloot has also held multiple leadership roles within the American Thoracic Society (ATS), including service on its Board of Directors from 2017 to 2020. In 2023, the ATS recognized Dr. Skloot’s pioneering research in respiratory structure and function with the prestigious Solbert Permutt Trailblazer Award in Pulmonary Physiology and Medicine.

“Having spent much of my career in respiratory and anti-infective drug development, I understand how challenging it is to meaningfully improve outcomes for patients with COPD,” said Dr. Haumann. “Vapendavir’s approach to preemptively targeting rhinovirus-triggered exacerbations represents a compelling new strategy for the field, and the CARDINAL trial positions Altesa to generate important clinical evidence in an area of significant unmet need. I’m delighted to join the board at such a pivotal moment for the company.”

“My research has focused on pulmonary physiology and the mechanisms underlying obstructive airway disease — work that has only deepened my conviction that we need to focus on preventing exacerbations rather than managing their aftermath,” said Dr. Skloot. “The science behind vapendavir aligns closely with that thinking, and Altesa’s CARDINAL study is asking exactly the right question. I’m thrilled to step into a leadership role at Altesa and to help bring rigorous clinical development to a program with true potential to transform the approach to COPD and enhance the quality of life of patients.”

About Vapendavir

Vapendavir is an oral medicine in development by Altesa BioSciences. Recently, Altesa announced that vapendavir improved symptoms, reduced duration of illness and viral load, and maintained small airway function in COPD patients experimentally challenged with rhinovirus. Vapendavir is now in late-stage clinical development, and if approved, has the potential to prevent up to 50% of COPD exacerbations, improve quality of life, and potentially save significant healthcare costs.

About the CARDINAL Study

The CARDINAL clinical trial is a Phase 2b multinational randomized placebo-controlled study in COPD patients experiencing rhinovirus infections that will enroll 900 people with COPD in the US and UK. The trial was designed to reflect real-world care models, proactively identifying and supporting those at greatest risk. Participants will be closely monitored over time and, upon development of rhinovirus infection, will be randomized to receive one of two doses of vapendavir or placebo. The trial’s primary objective is to assess improvement in respiratory symptoms using established patient-reported outcomes, with additional endpoints evaluating time to symptom resolution, quality of life, healthcare resource utilization, and lung function.

About Altesa BioSciences, Inc.

Altesa BioSciences is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, led by global experts in respiratory medicine and infectious diseases. We are dedicated to improving the lives of people with chronic lung diseases, like COPD and asthma, by treating the principal cause of exacerbations and pathological inflammation – viral respiratory infections. In addition to advancing vapendavir, our lead medicine, we advocate for improved access to modern respiratory diagnostics and therapeutics in underserved communities. www.altesa.com

Media Contact: Peg Rusconi

Email: peg.rusconi@deerfieldgroup.com

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SOURCE Altesa Biosciences Inc.