Vera Therapeutics Appoints Christopher Hite to Board of Directors
BRISBANE, Calif., March 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VERA), a biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing transformative treatments for patients with serious immunological diseases, today announced the appointment of Christopher Hite, an accomplished executive with decades of corporate and financial strategy leadership experience in the biopharmaceutical sector, to Vera Therapeutics' Board of Directors.
"It is a pleasure to welcome Chris to our Board of Directors at this exciting juncture in Vera Therapeutics' trajectory as we near the potential launch of our first-in-class dual BAFF/APRIL inhibitor for patients with IgA nephropathy," said Marshall Fordyce, M.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Vera Therapeutics. "Chris brings deep leadership and strategic expertise that will drive our growth and success."
"I am pleased to join Vera Therapeutics' exceptional Board of Directors and contribute to the company as it prepares for the potential launch of atacicept later this year," said Christopher Hite, Executive Vice President and Vice Chairman of Royalty Pharma. "I am impressed with Vera Therapeutics' focus on delivering a breakthrough therapy that has the potential to meet an unmet need in this devastating immunological disease that often leads to dialysis or a transplant. Vera Therapeutics is on an exciting growth path, and I am looking forward to adding to its continued success and long-term value creation."
Mr. Hite, a seasoned executive with over 25 years of strategic and financial experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, will serve as an independent board member. Mr. Hite currently serves as Executive Vice President and Vice Chairman at Royalty Pharma. Prior to joining Royalty Pharma in 2020, he was at Citi for over a decade, serving most recently as Vice Chairman of Banking, Capital Markets and Advisory (BCMA) and a member of the BCMA Executive Committee, and previously as the Global Head of Healthcare Investment Banking. Prior to joining Citi, Mr. Hite was the Global Head of Healthcare Investment Banking at Lehman Brothers. He currently serves on the Board of Kailera Therapeutics and the Board of Trustees at Lehigh University and previously served on the Board of Directors of Acceleron Pharma until its acquisition by Merck in November 2021. Mr. Hite has a B.S. from Lehigh University, and a J.D. and M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh.
About Vera Therapeutics
Vera Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing treatments for serious immunological diseases. Vera Therapeutics' mission is to advance treatments that target the source of disease in order to change the standard of care for patients. Vera Therapeutics' lead product candidate is atacicept, a fusion protein self-administered at home as a subcutaneous once weekly injection that blocks both B-cell Activating Factor (BAFF) and A Proliferation-Inducing Ligand (APRIL), which stimulate B cells to produce autoantibodies contributing to certain autoimmune diseases, including IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and lupus nephritis. Beyond IgAN, Vera Therapeutics is evaluating additional diseases where the reduction of autoantibodies by atacicept may prove clinically meaningful. In addition, Vera Therapeutics holds an exclusive license agreement with Stanford University for a novel, next generation fusion protein targeting BAFF and APRIL, known as VT-109, with wide therapeutic potential across the spectrum of B-cell–mediated diseases. Vera Therapeutics is also evaluating the development of MAU868, a monoclonal antibody designed to neutralize infection with BK virus, which can have devastating consequences in kidney transplant recipients. Vera Therapeutics retains all global developmental and commercial rights to atacicept, VT-109, and MAU868. For more information, please visit www.veratx.com.
Forward-looking Statements
Statements contained in this press release regarding matters, events or results that may occur in the future are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding, among other things, Vera Therapeutics' ability to launch a potential first-in-class dual BAFF/APRIL inhibitor for patients with IgA nephropathy; the new board member's ability to contribute to Vera Therapeutics' growth, success and long-term value creation; Vera Therapeutics' ability to meet an unmet need in IgA nephropathy; and the plans, commitments, aspirations and goals under the caption "About Vera Therapeutics". Words such as "believe," "expect," "may," "plan," "potential," "will" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon Vera Therapeutics' current expectations and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation, risks related to the regulatory approval process, results of earlier clinical trials may not be obtained in later clinical trials, preliminary results may not be predictive of topline results, risks and uncertainties associated with Vera Therapeutics' business in general, the impact of macroeconomic and geopolitical events, and the other risks described in Vera Therapeutics' filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made and are based on management's assumptions and estimates as of such date. Vera Therapeutics undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made, except as required by law.
Investor Contact:
Joyce Allaire
LifeSci Advisors
212-915-2569
[email protected]
Media Contact:
Debra Charlesworth
Vera Therapeutics
415-854-051
[email protected]
