SAN DIEGO and BASEL, Switzerland , April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bright Peak Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing multifunctional immunotherapies for cancer, today announced the appointment of John Schmid, a seasoned biotechnology executive, to its Board of Directors.

“It is a pleasure to welcome John to our Board,” said Fredrik Wiklund, Chief Executive Officer of Bright Peak Therapeutics. “John brings decades of experience and an extensive track record of success in the biotech sector. His strategic insights and financial expertise will be instrumental as we advance our clinical pipeline and scale Bright Peak for long-term success.”

“I’m honored to join Bright Peak as an Independent Board Member,” said Mr. Schmid. “I look forward to collaborating with the leadership team and fellow Directors in support of the company’s mission of advancing breakthrough immunotherapies to patients with cancer.”

Mr. Schmid brings more than 35 years of financial and senior management experience in the biotechnology industry. As a Chief Financial Officer, he has raised over $900 million through private and public equity and debt financings. He has guided two companies through successful IPOs as a CFO, and over the course of the last ten years, he has been involved in six additional IPOs as an independent board member.

He currently serves on the Boards of AnaptysBio (Nasdaq: ANAB), Design Therapeutics (Nasdaq: DSGN), Poseida Therapeutics (Nasdaq: PSTX), and Xeris Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: XERS), as well as the SPAC Helix Acquisition (Nasdaq: HLXA), acting as Audit Chair for each. He is also a Board Member of Forge Therapeutics and Speak, Inc.

Previously, Mr. Schmid was CFO of Auspex Pharmaceuticals, which he took public in 2014 and later sold to Teva for $3.5 billion. He also co-founded Trius Therapeutics in 2004, serving as CFO through its IPO and eventual acquisition by Cubist Pharmaceuticals for over $700 million. Before Trius, he was CFO of GeneFormatics and Endonetics (acquired by Medtronic) as well as an Associate with Idanta Partners, a venture capital firm, Vice President at HomeFed Bank and a Financial Analyst for Manufacturers Hanover (now part of J.P. Morgan) in New York. He is a past President and a past board member of the San Diego Venture Group. Mr. Schmid received a BA in Economics from Wesleyan University and an MBA from the University of San Diego.

About Bright Peak Therapeutics

Bright Peak Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering multifunctional immunotherapies to treat cancer. Leveraging innovative protein engineering and a proprietary chemical conjugation platform, Bright Peak is building a robust pipeline of first-in-class multifunctional molecules. Its lead program, BPT567—a bifunctional PD1-IL18 immunoconjugate—is currently in Phase 1/2a clinical trials. Backed by leading healthcare investors, Bright Peak operates from its dual locations in San Diego, CA ,and Basel, Switzerland. For more information, visit www.brightpeaktx.com.

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