SEED Therapeutics, a BeyondSpring Subsidiary, Appoints Mr. Ko-Yung Tung to the Board of Directors
Former Eisai Board Member, Former World Bank General Counsel, and Lecturer at Harvard and Yale Law Schools, Brings Five Decades of Experience in Global Health, Law, Governance, and International Business
NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SEED Therapeutics (SEED), an innovative global biotech company focused on engineering “molecular glues” and harnessing its targeted protein degradation (TPD) platform to attack previously undruggable targets, has appointed eminent international lawyer Ko-Yung Tung to its Board of Directors. SEED is a subsidiary of BeyondSpring (NASDAQ: BYSI), a global clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies to improve clinical outcomes for patients with high unmet medical needs.
Mr. Tung has served as a director and strategic advisor to leading international corporations and advisory councils, including Eisai Co., Ltd., Hawaiian Airlines, and Kajima Corporation. Mr. Tung formerly served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the World Bank, Secretary General of the International Centre of the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), senior partner of O’Melveny & Myers, and Senior Counsellor at Morrison & Foerster.
“Ko-Yung brings 50 years’ experience in corporate governance, international investment, law, economic development, and international business to SEED’s Board. His joining is timely as SEED addresses domestic and international opportunities to translate its TPD technology to new lead agents ready for regulatory filings in advance of clinical testing. Ko-Yung will extend his ongoing advice to the SEED Board and Management on navigating increasingly complex legal, governance, and geopolitical issues as we pursue our mission of introducing SEED’s TPD technology and platform to improve the quality of life for patients across the globe,” said Dr. Lan Huang, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BeyondSpring, and Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder of SEED.
Mr. Tung currently serves as a board member of the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT) in Japan with funding from the Gates Foundation, the Japanese government, Wellcome Trust, and large Japan pharmaceutical firms, including Takeda, Astellas, and Eisai. GHIT makes grants to international development partners in the field of Neglected Tropical Diseases. While at the World Bank, Mr. Tung provided legal advice in the establishment of the Global Fund for AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis. He has been at the lead of cross-border public policy, including as a member of the Trilateral Commission, U.S. Presidential Commission on United States Pacific Trade and Investment Policy, and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the East-West Center. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has been associated with the American Society of International Law, International Bar Association, and Bar of the City of New York. As a distinguished scholar, Mr. Tung has taught at Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, and NYU Law School for many years. Mr. Tung received his education at Harvard College (B.A. in physics, magna cum laude), Harvard Law School (J.D.), and University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law.
“I have always been committed to helping people with unmet medical problems, whether in new drugs, affordability, or public policy. I am honored to be working closely with SEED’s Scientific Co-Founders and our team of seasoned scientists and development experts as SEED transforms its groundbreaking TPD platform into a portfolio of approved drugs to address unmet medical needs. It is inspiring to see SEED’s unwavering commitment and leadership to be TPD trailblazers and to raise the quality of life for patients around the world,” said Mr. Tung.
About SEED Therapeutics
SEED Therapeutics is an innovative biotech company focusing on harnessing and engineering “molecular glues” and targeted protein degradation (TPD) to attack previously undruggable targets. Backed by a comprehensive intellectual property portfolio, SEED Therapeutics' mission is to positively impact human health by creating novel protein degradation therapeutics to treat various severe diseases that currently have limited treatment options for patients and their families. Through ongoing collaborations with world-leading academic experts in the field, SEED Therapeutics is developing a growing pipeline of novel drug candidates on a path to potential clinical and commercial success. SEED has an initial R&D collaboration and investment from Eli Lilly. With today’s announcement, SEED’s Board of Directors is composed of SEED Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder Dr. Lan Huang, PhD, an ubiquitin ligase expert, biotech entrepreneur, and Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder of BeyondSpring; Dr. James Tonra, PhD, seasoned translational science leader and SEED President and Chief Scientific Officer; Dr. Linus Lin, PhD, drug discovery and development expert and global head of Eli Lilly Chorus; Jackson Tai, corporate governance, finance, and risk expert and recently retired Eli Lilly director; and Ko-Yung Tung, eminent international lawyer, cross-border strategic advisor, and former World Bank General Counsel. Learn more by visiting https://seedtherapeutics.com/.
About BeyondSpring
BeyondSpring (NASDAQ: BYSI) is a global clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on developing innovative therapies to improve clinical outcomes for patients with high unmet medical needs. The Company is advancing its first-in-class lead asset, Plinabulin, as a direct anti-cancer agent in various cancer indications and to prevent chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. Its pipeline also includes three preclinical immuno-oncology assets. Additionally, BeyondSpring’s subsidiary, SEED Therapeutics, leverages a proprietary targeted protein degradation (TPD) drug discovery platform for novel drug development in oncology, neurodegeneration, and virology. Learn more by visiting https://beyondspringpharma.com, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
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