LB Pharmaceuticals Strengthens Board of Directors with Appointments of William Kane and Rekha Hemrajani
NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LB Pharmaceuticals Inc (“LB Pharmaceuticals” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: LBRX) today announced the appointments of William Kane and Rekha Hemrajani to its Board of Directors effective as of the pricing of its initial public offering on September 10, 2025. The Company believes Mr. Kane and Ms. Hemrajani add valuable expertise in finance, business development, product commercialization, and corporate strategy to its Board of Directors as the Company advances its lead product candidate, LB-102, into a Phase 3 clinical trial for acute schizophrenia and a Phase 2 clinical trial for bipolar depression. LB Pharmaceuticals is building a pipeline that leverages the broad therapeutic potential of LB-102, which the Company believes has the potential to be the first benzamide antipsychotic drug approved for neuropsychiatric disorders in the United States.
“Ms. Hemrajani and Mr. Kane have complementary strengths that will accelerate our strategic growth as we approach the initiation of two important clinical trials early next year,” said Heather Turner, Chief Executive Officer of LB Pharmaceuticals. “Ms. Hemrajani’s experience in financial operations and corporate governance and Mr. Kane’s proven track record of commercializing new therapies make them outstanding additions to our Board of Directors. Their guidance will be invaluable as we work to fulfill our mission of bringing safer, more effective neuropsychiatric treatments to patients.”
Mr. Kane brings over three decades of biopharmaceutical leadership to the Board. He is currently President and CEO of Uniquity Bio. He was previously President and CCO at Anthos Therapeutics (through its acquisition by Novartis), CCO at Karuna Therapeutics, where he led the commercialization strategy for Cobenfy, and held senior roles at BioXcel Therapeutics and Allergan, where he helped launch multiple leading branded therapeutics including Namzaric, Vraylar, and Ubrelvy, and at Pfizer, where he was instrumental in the success of multiple blockbuster products, including Zoloft, Zyrtec and Celebrex. He holds an MBA from The Wharton School and a B.A. in Government from Connecticut College.
Mr. Kane commented, “LB Pharmaceuticals has potential to make a significant impact in neuropsychiatric care. LB‑102 offers a compelling balance of clinical activity, tolerability, and simplicity of dosing—qualities that matter deeply to prescribers and patients alike – and I look forward to supporting the Company’s efforts to deliver on this promising potential.”
Ms. Hemrajani currently serves on the boards of directors of ALX Oncology, BioAge Labs, and MaxCyte. Her previous roles include CEO of Aravive, COO and CFO of Arcus Biosciences, COO of RAPT Therapeutics, and CFO of Sagimet Biosciences. She also formerly led Licensing and M&A at Onyx Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Amgen), and Business Development at Exelixis. She holds a B.S. in Economics and Computer Science from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
“I am excited to partner with LB Pharmaceuticals at this critical phase as they transition toward late-stage Phase 3 development. The data from the Phase 2 clinical trial of LB-102 provide a strong foundation for further development, and I look forward to helping guide the Company’s path toward its ultimate goal of delivering meaningful impact for patients and physicians alike.”
About LB Pharmaceuticals
LB Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapies for the treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar depression, and other neuropsychiatric diseases. The Company is building a pipeline that leverages the broad therapeutic potential of its lead product candidate, LB-102, which the Company believes has the potential to be the first benzamide antipsychotic drug approved for neuropsychiatric disorders in the United States. LB-102, if approved, has the potential to become a mainstay of psychiatric practice by offering a potentially attractive alternative to branded and generic therapeutics for the treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar depression, and other neuropsychiatric diseases.
About LB-102
LB-102 is a Phase 3-ready oral, small molecule and a methylated derivative of amisulpride. In early 2025, LB Pharmaceuticals announced positive data from a four-week placebo-controlled, double-blinded, Phase 2 trial in patients with acute schizophrenia. The Phase 2 trial demonstrated statistically significant benefit versus placebo at all doses studied, a potentially class leading safety profile among D2 antagonists and partial agonists, and positive effects on negative symptoms and cognition. LB-102 is advancing into a Phase 3 clinical trial for acute schizophrenia and a Phase 2 clinical trial for bipolar depression. Additional expansion opportunities for LB-102 could include major depressive disorder (MDD), predominantly negative symptoms of schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease psychosis and agitation, as well as bipolar mania and cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia.
Cautionary Note Regarding 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, as amended. Words such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “design,” “due,” “estimate,” “expect,” “goal,” “intend,” “may,” “objective,” “plan,” “positioned,” “potential,” “predict,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the expected clinical development and regulatory pathway and therapeutic benefits of LB-102, the Company’s ability to commercialize LB-102, if approved; and continuing advancement of LB-102 and the Company’s portfolio. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: the Company’s limited operating history and historical losses; the Company’s ability to raise additional funding to complete the development and any commercialization of LB-102; the Company’s dependence on the success of its lead product candidate, LB-102; the Company’s ability to obtain regulatory approval of and successfully commercialize its product candidate; the early stages of clinical development of the Company’s lead product candidate, LB-102; any undesirable side effects or other properties of the Company’s product candidate; that the Company may be delayed in initiating, enrolling or completing any clinical trials; competition from third parties that are developing products for similar uses; the Company’s ability to obtain, maintain and protect its intellectual property; and the Company’s dependence on third parties in connection with manufacturing, clinical trials and preclinical studies.
These and other risks are described more fully in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and its other documents to be subsequently filed with or furnished to the SEC. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Except to the extent required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.
Contacts
Media:
Michael Tattory
LifeSci Communications
Mtattory@lifescicomms.com
Investor Relations:
ir@lbpharma.us
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