The shareholders of the company elected today Dr. Daniel L. Vasella, – former CEO and President of NOVARTIS – as new member to the Board of Directors of Topadur Pharma AG.

“I am extremely happy with the election of Dr. Vasella to the Board of Directors. His visionary leadership and his dedication to deliver transformative treatments to help patients is impressive and deeply aligns with our mission. With his medical background he complements the board at the right time when we begin the clinical development with TOP-N53, a promising drug candidate to enable wound healing”, said Dr. Reto Naef, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO at TOPADUR.

About Dr. Daniel L. Vasella

Daniel Vasella, M.D., works as board director, coach and strategic consultant for top executives.

After the foundation of Novartis in 1996 he led the company for 17 years as CEO (1996-2010) and Chairman of the Board of Directors (1999-2013). Since 2013 Dr. Vasella is Honorary Chairman of the Board of Directors for Novartis AG.

Before the Novartis merger, Dr. Vasella was CEO of Sandoz Pharma Ltd. and a member of the Sandoz Group Executive Committee. From 1988 to 1992, he worked for Sandoz Pharmaceuticals Corporation in the United States, prior to which he held a number of medical positions in Switzerland. He graduated with an M.D. from the University of Bern and completed executive training at Harvard Business School. Dr. Vasella also trained as psychoanalyst and executive coach. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Basel and the Harvard Business Alumnus Award and many other distinctions.

Dr. Vasella is a member of the board of directors of PepsiCo, Inc. and the American Express Company and several biotech companies. He is also a foreign honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, as well as of various cultural establishments.

Daniel Vasella is married and father of three children.