Exhibit 99.1
NewAmsterdam Pharma Appoints William H. Lewis, J.D., M.B.A. as Chair of its Board of Directors
Naarden, the Netherlands and Miami, USA; January 8, 2024 – NewAmsterdam Pharma Company N.V. (Nasdaq: NAMS or “NewAmsterdam” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing oral, non-statin medicines for patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease with residual elevation of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (“LDL-C”), for whom existing therapies are not sufficiently effective or well-tolerated, today announced the appointment of William H. Lewis, J.D., M.B.A., as Chair of its Board of Directors. Mr. Lewis has served as Chief Executive Officer of Insmed Incorporated, a global commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, since 2012, and as Chair of Insmed’s Board of Directors since 2018. Mr. Lewis succeeds Sander Slootweg, Managing Partner at Forbion, who has served as Chairman of NewAmsterdam’s Board of Directors since inception.
“Will is a leader in the biotechnology industry, widely recognized for his commitment to putting patients first, championing those who are underserved by existing treatment options, and translating breakthrough science into first-in-disease medicines,” said Michael Davidson, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of NewAmsterdam. “I have long admired Will for his deep knowledge of the clinical and regulatory landscape, as well as his proven ability to advance new therapies for serious and rare diseases. He will be a tremendous partner, who I have known for many years, and as Chair of our Board I look forward to his contributions as we advance our CETP inhibitor toward market and work to deliver a simple, oral, once-daily option to millions of people living with dyslipidemia. I would also like to thank Sander for his support and contribution as our Chairman over the last several years. His guidance has been invaluable in getting NewAmsterdam to where we are today.”
“Over the past several years, I have had the unique privilege of partnering with Will as both an investor and colleague. He is a remarkable leader, with experience advancing novel molecules through late-stage development, launching into sizeable markets and establishing new standards-of-care,” commented Mr. Slootweg. “I am confident he is the right partner to support NewAmsterdam as it enters its next phase of growth, with multiple pivotal data readouts expected in 2024 and, if approved, its plans to commercialize obicetrapib.”
Mr. Lewis has more than 30 years of executive experience in the pharmaceutical and finance industries both in the U.S. and internationally. Prior to joining Insmed in 2012, Mr. Lewis served as Co-Founder, President, and Chief Financial Officer of Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired by Amryt in 2019. Prior to Aegerion, he spent more than 10 years working in investment banking in the U.S. and Europe. He also previously worked for the U.S. government. Mr. Lewis holds a J.D. with Honors and an M.B.A., both from Case Western Reserve University, and a B.A., cum laude, from Oberlin College. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Case Western Reserve University and of BioNJ, the life sciences association for New Jersey.
“NewAmsterdam was founded in hopes of delivering a new option to high-risk cardiovascular disease patients, many of whom fail to achieve their risk-based LDL-C goals despite treatment with statin therapy,” said Mr. Lewis. “Based on data generated from its five Phase 2 trials to date, it is clear that obicetrapib is designed to be a powerful therapy, with the potential to safely and effectively improve LDL-C, as well as other key markers of cardiovascular disease risk. I am excited to join NewAmsterdam’s Board of Directors and look forward to partnering closely with management to complete the ongoing Phase 3 program and bring obicetrapib forward.”
About Obicetrapib
Obicetrapib is a novel, oral, low-dose CETP inhibitor that NewAmsterdam is developing to overcome the limitations of current LDL-lowering treatments. The Company believes that obicetrapib has the potential to be a once-daily oral CETP inhibitor for lowering LDL-C, if approved. In the Company’s Phase 2b ROSE trial, obicetrapib demonstrated a 51% lowering of LDL-C from baseline at a 10 mg dose level on top of high-intensity statins and, in the Company’s Phase 2 ROSE2 trial, the combination of a 10 mg dose of obicetrapib and a 10 mg dose of ezetimibe demonstrated a 63% lowering of LDL-C from baseline. In all five of the Company’s Phase 2 trials, ROSE2, TULIP, ROSE, OCEAN, and TA-8995-203, evaluating obicetrapib as monotherapy or combination therapy, the Company observed statistically significant LDL-lowering combined with a side effect profile similar to that of placebo, including no increase in blood pressure or muscle related side effects. Obicetrapib has demonstrated strong tolerability in more than 800 patients with elevated lipid levels (“dyslipidemia”) in NewAmsterdam’s clinical trials to date. The Company is conducting two Phase 3 pivotal trials, BROADWAY and BROOKLYN, to evaluate obicetrapib
