Former Biogen CEO Michel Vounatsos Joins Quris-AI Board

Yossi Ben Amram Appointed President as Bio-AI Innovator Continues to Expand Roster of Influential Experts Guiding Its Global Growth

BOSTON and TEL AVIV, Israel, Jan. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Quris-AI, an artificial intelligence (AI) innovator disrupting the pharmaceutical arena, announced the addition of Michel Vounatsos, former CEO of Biogen, to its Board of Directors, and the appointment of Yossi Ben Amram, former Merck & Co., Inc. (MSD) Regional President, as President of Quris-AI.

“Adding accomplished pharmaceutical leaders such as Yossi Ben Amram and Michel Vounatsos to our leadership team will be invaluable in our push for a pharma Bio-AI revolution. Both bring a deep understanding of industry dynamics, relationships, global growth strategies, and unique perspectives that will be tremendously beneficial as we continue to scale,” stated Dr. Isaac Bentwich, CEO and Founder of Quris-AI. “I look forward to their insights and contribution as they help guide our exceptionally talented and diverse team’s platform development, partnership program, and global growth efforts in the years ahead.”

Joining a deep bench of prolific pharma and drug industry visionaries who help steer the company’s scientific breakthroughs and global growth, Ben Amram and Vounatsos will now dedicate their time to supporting Quris-AI’s mission to close the clinical prediction gap. The entire Quris-AI team is committed to developing safer drugs, faster and driving a surge in drug advancements for rare diseases and personalized medicine by dramatically reducing the cost and risks of drug innovation.

“The Bio-AI platform is bringing us a new era in drug development and personalized care. I am beyond excited to be a part of the next phase of accelerated innovation, and I look forward to working with the extraordinary team at Quris-AI,” added Vounatsos.

Michel Vounatsos brings extensive global leadership and management experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, including having served as CEO and member of the Board of Directors of Biogen, Inc. from early 2017 until November 2022. Before joining Biogen, he spent two decades at Merck & Co. in various senior leadership positions, including President of MSD China, President of Primary Care & Merck Customer Centricity, and commercial leadership positions throughout Europe. Earlier in his career, Vounatsos held management positions at Ciba-Geigy. An experienced Board member, he currently sits on the Boards of Revvity, Inc., a global life science and diagnostics company, and Zai Lab Limited, a global biopharma company. Vounatsos earned his MBA from the HEC School of Management in Paris, France, and his C.S.C.T. certificate in Medicine from Université Victor Segalen, Bordeaux II, France.

“Joining Quris-AI is a privilege, as the company represents the essence of innovation and discovery at the intersection of AI and biology, featuring a stellar team of the best scientists in the field and groundbreaking technology. Its ‘patient-on-a-chip’ platform and hybrid AI/ML approaches are fascinating – in fact, they’re revolutionary,” added Ben Amram. “In the age of the AI boom and the FDA’s Modernization Act 2.0, the timing could not be more perfect for Quris-AI’s vision to disrupt the drug discovery and delivery paradigm. This company isn’t just ready to partner with big pharma and tech giants; it’s set to lead the charge. I’m enthusiastic to be part of this pivotal journey, where we are witnessing history and actively shaping it.”

With more than three decades of experience spanning a dynamic cross-section of pharmaceutical companies, Yossi Ben Amram will offer strategic guidance in building and leading diverse global teams, cultivating critical alliances and industry partnerships, and accelerating international growth plans. He has held various senior leadership positions at pharmaceutical companies around the globe, including Merck & Co., Inc. (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada), where he spent over two decades in key roles, including serving as President of MSD EURAM (Europe, Russia, Africa, and the Middle East) and led a $4B business covering more than 100 countries. He was a member of the Global Human Health (GHH) Bone, Respiratory, Immunology & Dermatology (BRID) franchise, served as a vice president and global brand leader for Respiratory products, global brand leader for SINGULAIR^®, and managing director of MSD in Israel. Prior to Merck, Ben Amram held several positions at TEVA Pharmaceuticals in Israel. Currently, Ben Amram serves as a Board Member at clinical-stage biopharma company PolyPid Ltd. He earned his MBA and a B.A. in Economics and Management from Tel Aviv University.

Watch this video for perspective on how Quris-AI is reshaping the drug development process. Review Quris-AI’s inaugural United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Impact & Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Review for more details on the company’s global impact.

ABOUT QURIS-AI
Quris-AI, the world’s first Bio-AI clinical prediction platform, ensures the safety and efficacy of new drugs. Revolutionizing the drug development process, the company is pioneering clinical trials on chips–testing thousands of novel drug candidates on hundreds of miniaturized “patients-on-a-chip.” Its fully automated, self-training AI platform accurately predicts clinical safety and efficacy for novel drugs faster and more cost-effectively than ever before – all while minimizing animal testing. Dual-headquartered in Boston and Israel and backed by strategic biotech and big data investors, Quris is led by a proven team of AI and medical research powerhouses who are already preparing its lead discovery for clinical trials. For more information, visit www.quris.ai.

Media Contact:
Erica Camilo
Connexa Communications for Quris-AI
1.610.639.5644
erica@connexacommunications.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ba715db0-15e1-499c-8693-0b0ab1869c9f
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/46b0e95d-fb30-4b1b-9753-bc75b57f5fc0