Exonate Appoints Olav Hellebø as CEO

Exonate Ltd., a biotechnology company developing novel, non-invasive, small-molecule therapeutics for patients with retinal vascular diseases, has appointed Olav Hellebø as Chief Executive Officer.

Hellebø will lead the company as it strengthens its executive team and advances toward key clinical and corporate milestones, including initiating a Phase IIb clinical trial of lead candidate EXN407 for diabetic eye disease.

“We are delighted to welcome Olav as CEO of Exonate,” said Dr Rafiq Hasan, Chair of the Board of Directors at Exonate. “Olav combines deep scientific understanding with extensive operational and commercial leadership experience, gained across both large pharmaceutical companies and emerging biotechnology businesses. His expertise in ophthalmology, together with his proven ability to build and lead successful organizations, makes him ideally suited to guide Exonate as we continue to advance our pipeline and create value for patients.”

Experience

Hellebø brings extensive business and scientific leadership experience across the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, with a track record in ophthalmology, immunology and oncology. As CEO of ReNeuron Group plc, he in-licensed a Retinitis Pigmentosa program from the Schepens Eye Research Institute, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, and completed equity financings totaling $125 million.

Hellebø has held senior commercial and development roles across the United States and Europe. Notably, he served as Executive Vice President at Schering-Plough (now Merck), leading the U.S. Biotech and Oncology business unit, Chief Operating Officer of Novartis UK and a member of the Novartis Global Pharmaceutical Executive Committee, and President of Immunology at UCB where he built and led the Immunology Division following the company’s acquisition of Celltech plc. He has been a member of the board of several biotech companies, and currently serves as Director at Oncoinvent and Cytovation, and as Chair at Blue Cell Therapeutics and ION Therapeutics.

Hellebø graduated Summa Cum Laude in International Business Studies from Hofstra University and holds an MBA from IESE Business School.