• Strategic hire of industry expert bolsters leadership team as Company progresses first antibody drug conjugate to candidate selection phase
• Appointment will drive development of VALANX’ GoldenSite™ platform to advance development of best-in-class therapeutic protein conjugates

VALANX Biotech (VALANX), a biotech company developing novel technology for site-specific protein conjugation in drug discovery, today announced the appointment of Klaus Orlinger, PhD. as Chief Scientific Officer. With more than 15 years of industry experience in the development of oncology and infectious disease drug candidates, Klaus will drive the Company’s scientific strategy including development of its flagship protein conjugation platform.

In his role, Klaus will lead VALANX’ strategic drug development roadmap, ensuring long-term growth and success for the Company. Integral to this, will be the development of VALANX’ GoldenSite conjugation platform and the translation of the platform’s capabilities for the discovery of promising, novel therapeutic protein conjugates. The Company’s technology leverages synthetic biology and click chemistry to enable rapid and reliable site-specific and freely site-selective protein conjugation, combining them with other molecular units to create novel biotherapeutics with superior therapeutic windows.

Klaus is an experienced R&D leader with a distinguished track record in pharmaceutical product development joining VALANX from HOOKIPA Pharma, where he has been instrumental in driving innovation and growth. Over his tenure, he played a central role in advancing multiple drug candidates in immuno-oncology and infectious disease from early research through phase 1 and 2 clinical studies in the US and EU.

Serving as Chief Scientific Officer, Vice President Research, and Head of Virology, Klaus contributed significantly to HOOKIPA’s strategic development, the establishment of key research and pharma partnerships, and the company’s communications with investors. His leadership was pivotal in transforming HOOKIPA from an early-stage concept into a clinical-stage biotech company, successfully guiding it from seed funding to IPO. Klaus holds a degree, Masters and PhD in Genetics and Microbiology from the University of Vienna.

“Klaus’ world-class expertise in executing on drug development programs represents a decisive milestone for the company. His knowledge and experience will be instrumental in guiding us as our first antibody-drug-conjugate, VLX-ADC-001, enters candidate selection,” said Michael Lukesch, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at VALANX Biotech. “Welcoming Klaus, a world-class expert in pharmaceutical drug development, to strengthen our leadership team is a reflection of the potential of our technology for the development of novel therapies that will make a key difference for patients.”

Klaus Orlinger, PhD., Chief Scientific Officer at VALANX Biotech, commented: “Drug-protein-conjugate therapeutics hold great potential for a broad range of diseases but their clinical development is often hampered by limited therapeutic windows. VALANX’s GoldenSite technology is addressing an urgent need to widen limited therapeutic windows and enable the development of best-in-class biotherapeutic drugs. I am excited to have joined the team at a pivotal moment for the company to drive the execution of its drug development programs and to generate more candidate drugs to address unmet medical need in oncology.”