Azora Therapeutics Appoints Board of Directors with Extensive Drug Development and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Expertise

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Azora Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: AZR), a biopharmaceutical company developing treatments for serious inflammatory diseases, today announced it has established a five-member board of directors with deep drug development experience, a track record of FDA approvals, expertise in public-company governance, and clinical capabilities in gastroenterology and immunology.

“The depth and diversity of expertise represented in our board of directors position Azora for success in advancing AT177 into the clinic and through proof of concept as we aim to restore intestinal health for people living with ulcerative colitis,” said Matt Davidson, Ph.D., Co-founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Azora Therapeutics. “Their guidance and leadership will be invaluable in helping us execute our strategy to realize the full potential of AT177 and build value for shareholders.”

Board of Directors:

• Matt Davidson, Ph.D., Director, Co-founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Azora Therapeutics, was previously Chief Executive Officer of Verrica Pharmaceuticals, where he led development of YCANTH® (cantharidin) into Phase 3 leading to FDA approval.
• Wendy Young, Ph.D., Independent Director, is a medicinal chemist and biotech leader with more than 30 years in drug discovery. She built and headed the Small Molecule Drug Discovery organization at Genentech, rising to Senior Vice President, and co-invented and directed the BTK-inhibitor program that led to the discovery of fenebrutinib. Previously, she held scientific leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson and Celera Genomics. She currently serves as a scientific advisor and independent board member at Rapport Therapeutics, as well as an advisor and board member to other private biotechnology companies, and she is a Senior Advisor at GV (Google Ventures).
• Aida Habtezion, M.D., Independent Director, is a physician-scientist in gastroenterology and immunology who served as Chief Medical Officer and Head of Worldwide Medical & Safety at Pfizer. She is an Adjunct Professor of Medicine and previously a tenured Professor of Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine, where she directed a translational research laboratory studying intestinal inflammatory disease, including the role of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor in intestinal immunity.
• Thomas Soloway, Independent Director, is Chief Executive Officer of T-knife Therapeutics. He previously served in successive roles as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Audentes Therapeutics through its IPO and acquisition by Astellas Pharma. He has also served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Ascendis Pharma, as well as served on the boards of Satsuma Pharmaceuticals and Third Harmonic Bio.
• Paul J. Hastings, Independent Director, is Chief Executive Officer of Nkarta. Living with Crohn’s disease himself, he is passionate about advancing care in the inflammatory bowel disease community. He has led numerous biopharmaceutical companies as Chief Executive Officer, including OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, QLT, and Axys Pharmaceuticals. He currently serves on the boards of Specific Biologics and enGene Holdings, and was formerly the Chair of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization. Previously, he served on several other biotech boards, including Pacira BioSciences (Chair), Proteolix (Chair; acquired by Onyx Pharmaceuticals), ViaCyte (Chair; acquired by Vertex Pharmaceuticals), Relypsa (acquired by Galenica), and ViaCell (acquired by PerkinElmer).
  

About AT177

AT177 is a fully synthetic, patented, oral aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonist designed to restore mucosal immune homeostasis at the site of disease with minimal systemic exposure. AT177 is a prodrug of the active ingredient, indirubin, a potent AhR agonist derived from indigo naturalis, a botanical extract that has been evaluated in clinical studies in patients with ulcerative colitis but has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. AT177's colon-targeted formulation delivers therapeutic AhR engagement directly to the colonic mucosa with the goal of minimizing the systemic AhR exposure associated with adverse effects. In preclinical studies, AT177 demonstrated robust local colonic AhR activation with markedly limited systemic exposure. AT177 is currently in IND-enabling studies, with a Phase 1 clinical trial planned for the first half of 2027.

About Azora Therapeutics

Azora Therapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing treatments for serious inflammatory diseases. The company was launched out of Stanford University after being incubated in the translational medicine SPARK program. Azora owns the worldwide royalty-free rights to its technology, which is based on the development of oral agonists of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. Azora's lead program is AT177, a proprietary colon-targeted aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonist designed to enable localized activation with limited systemic exposure in development for ulcerative colitis. More information on Azora can be found on the company's website at www.AzoraTherapeutics.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts 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, the expected timing and initiation of the Phase 1 AT177 clinical program; the potential of AT177 to build value for shareholders; and the contributions and impact of recently appointed members of Azora’s board of directors. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Words such as “plan,” “will,” “believe,” “could,” “expect,” “potential” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon Azora’s 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 and uncertainties associated with Azora’s business in general, the impact of geopolitical and macroeconomic events, and the other risks described in Azora’s 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. Azora 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.

Media Contact:
Ashley Biladeau
Inizio Evoke Comms
Ashley.Biladeau@inizioevoke.com

Investor Contact:
Mike Moyer
LifeSci Advisors, LLC
mmoyer@lifesciadvisors.com