Equillium Announces the Appointment of Katherine Xu to the Board of Directors

LA JOLLA, Calif., Feb. 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Equillium, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQ) a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing itolizumab to treat severe autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, today announced that Y. Katherine Xu, Ph.D., partner at Decheng Capital, has been appointed to Equillium’s board of directors, effective Thursday, February 4, 2021.

“We’re excited to have Dr. Xu join the board of directors, as she brings with her a wealth of both scientific and Wall Street acumen,” said Dan Bradbury, executive chairman of the board of directors at Equillium. “Her addition complements the skills and experience of our board and her background will add a valuable perspective as Equillium transitions to later-stage development.”

“I’m thrilled to be joining Equillium’s board of directors at such an important time for the company,” said Dr. Xu. “Targeting the CD6-ALCAM pathway to treat severe autoimmune and inflammatory diseases is highly novel and very exciting, as itolizumab recently demonstrated compelling interim data in the first-line treatment of acute graft-versus-host disease. With multiple data milestones on the horizon from all three clinical programs, I look forward to working with the rest of the board and the leadership team as we develop strategies to bring this innovative and impactful therapy to patients with high unmet medical needs.”

Dr. Y. Katherine Xu is a partner at Decheng Capital and has been with the firm since May 2019. Prior to joining Decheng, Dr. Xu was Partner, Senior Biotechnology Analyst and Co-Group Head of the Biopharmaceutical Equity Research team at William Blair & Company based in New York. Prior to William Blair, Dr. Xu was Senior Vice President and Senior Biotechnology Analyst at Wedbush Securities, Vice President and Senior Biotechnology Analyst at Credit Suisse, and Senior Biotechnology Analyst at Pacific Growth Equities. Before her move to equity research, Dr. Xu was Vice President of Investment Banking at Petkevich & Partners, a boutique investment banking firm in San Francisco focused on the life sciences industry. Dr. Xu serves on the board of directors for The 1990 Institute and The Overseas Young Chinese Forum, two China-related non-profit organizations.

Dr. Xu holds a Ph.D. in developmental biology and a Ph.D. minor in engineering-economic systems and operations research from Stanford University Schools of Medicine and Engineering, respectively. She attended Peking University in Beijing before transferring to Kalamazoo College in Michigan in her junior year, where she gained her B.A. with honors.

About Equillium
Equillium is a clinical-stage biotechnology company leveraging deep understanding of immunobiology to develop novel products to treat severe autoimmune and inflammatory disorders with high unmet medical need. Equillium is developing itolizumab for multiple severe immuno-inflammatory diseases, including acute graft-versus-host-disease (aGVHD), lupus/lupus nephritis and uncontrolled asthma.
For more information, visit www.equilliumbio.com.

Forward Looking Statements
Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to statements regarding the ability of Equillium to transition to later-stage development, the timing of clinical trial data readouts, Equillium’s plans and expected timing for developing itolizumab and potential benefits of itolizumab. Risks that contribute to the uncertain nature of the forward-looking statements include: Equillium’s ability to execute its plans and strategies; risks related to performing clinical trials; the risk that interim results of a clinical trial do not necessarily predict final results and that one or more of the clinical outcomes may materially change as patient enrollment continues, following more comprehensive reviews of the data, and as more patient data become available; potential delays in the commencement, enrollment and completion of clinical trials and the reporting of data therefrom; the risk that studies will not be completed as planned; Equillium’s plans and product development, including the initiation and completion of clinical trials and the reporting of data therefrom; whether the results from clinical trials will validate and support the safety and efficacy of itolizumab; and changes in the competitive landscape. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully under the caption “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in Equillium’s filings and reports with the SEC. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Equillium undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

Investor Contact
Michael Moore
Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications
+1-619-302-4431
ir@equilliumbio.com

Media Contact
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Senior Account Associate
Canale Communications
+1-805-907-2497
katherine.smith@canalecomm.com