Assembly Bio Announces Retirement of John G. McHutchison, AO, MD as CEO and Appoints Current ...

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Assembly Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: ASMB), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing innovative, investigational therapeutics targeting hepatitis B virus (HBV) and other viral diseases, today announced that John G. McHutchison, AO, MD, chief executive officer (CEO), will retire as CEO at the end of 2022. Dr. McHutchison will continue to serve on Assembly Bio’s Board of Directors, including assuming the role of chairman of the Science and Technology Committee. Assembly Bio’s Board of Directors has unanimously elected Jason A. Okazaki, the company’s current president and chief operating officer (COO), as chief executive officer and a member of the board upon Dr. McHutchison’s retirement.

“Since joining the company in 2020, Jason has been instrumental in framing our long-term strategy and overseeing our partnering, financing, investor relations, legal efforts and, for the past year, operations as our COO,” Dr. McHutchison said. “Jason is a highly valued strategic partner to me and our board of directors with an unparalleled combination of business, operational, legal and industry experience. In partnership with our management team and me, he has enabled Assembly Bio to expand beyond core inhibition into complementary HBV-cure mechanisms and other novel viral targets. Jason’s strategic vision, leadership skills and respect within and outside of our organization will ensure we continue to advance the company’s mission of bringing these novel programs to patients in need.”

“The Board and I are grateful for the tremendous progress Assembly Bio has made under John’s leadership,” said William R. Ringo, Jr., chairman of the Assembly Bio Board of Directors. “By building a world-class antiviral organization, he and the team have made significant advances with our next generation, significantly more potent core inhibitors, and have developed the HBV/HDV entry inhibitor, interferon-α receptor agonist, HSV and panherpes programs that have extended Assembly Bio’s reach beyond core inhibition and HBV.”  

Mr. Ringo continued, “Jason has demonstrated his strong leadership and broad-based expertise since the moment he joined the organization, and the Board has no doubt that he is the right person to succeed John as CEO. We are confident in Jason’s ability to lead and partner with the company’s tenured executive team, particularly with William Delaney, PhD, chief scientific officer, Nicole White, PhD, chief manufacturing officer, and Michele Anderson, chief development officer, to advance Assembly Bio’s novel programs. We are equally pleased that John remains steadfastly committed to the company and will continue to contribute the wealth of his experience and deep virology expertise toward the future success of Assembly Bio as a member of the board of directors and chair of the Science and Technology Committee.”