Kailera Therapeutics Appoints Laurie Stelzer as Chief Financial Officer

Industry executive with more than 25 years of finance and strategic leadership experience

BOSTON and SAN DIEGO, Jan. 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kailera Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on advancing a broad pipeline of next-generation therapies for the treatment of obesity and related conditions, today announced the appointment of Laurie Stelzer as Chief Financial Officer. In this role, Ms. Stelzer will lead the finance organization and will be responsible for Kailera’s financial operations, investor relations, information technology and facilities management.

“Laurie has extensive experience leading the finance function of high-growth, high-impact companies, and we are thrilled to welcome her to the team to help drive our next phase of growth,” said Ron Renaud, President and Chief Executive Officer of Kailera. “Laurie is a proven executive and strategic leader in our industry, with expertise in areas across corporate finance and strategy, as well as building essential operational capabilities. She will be a valuable addition to our team as we advance our pipeline of treatments for obesity and related conditions.”

“Kailera’s vision and mission to develop therapies that give people the power to transform their lives and elevate their overall health align with my passion for advancing impactful therapies,” said Laurie Stelzer, Chief Financial Officer of Kailera. “I’m excited to join the dedicated team at Kailera to build on its strong foundation, expand our capabilities, and support sustainable, long-term growth.”

Laurie brings over 25 years of finance and strategic leadership experience in the biopharmaceutical industry to Kailera. Most recently, she served as CFO of Orna Therapeutics, overseeing the company’s finance, investor relations, communications, IT, people and culture, and facilities and lab operations functions. Prior to Orna, Laurie held CFO roles at ReNAgade Therapeutics, Mirati Therapeutics, and Arena Pharmaceuticals, where she played a pivotal role in the company’s growth, culminating in its $6.7 billion acquisition by Pfizer. Earlier in her career, Laurie served as CFO at Halozyme Therapeutics and also held senior leadership positions at Shire, including Senior Vice President of Finance, Division CFO for the Regenerative Medicine Division, and Head of Investor Relations. She began her biotech career at Amgen, where she spent 15 years in positions of increasing responsibility, holding multiple roles in finance, global commercial operations, treasury and international/emerging markets. She serves as a member of the board of directors of Sionna Therapeutics, PMV Pharmaceutical and Spyre Therapeutics. Laurie received her B.S. in Accounting from Arizona State University and her M.B.A. from the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles.

About Kailera Therapeutics 
Kailera Therapeutics (Kailera) is developing a broad, advanced, and differentiated portfolio of clinical-stage injectable and oral therapies for the treatment of obesity and related conditions. Kailera’s most advanced program, KAI-9531 (being developed in China as HRS9531), is an injectable GLP-1/GIP receptor dual agonist that has demonstrated positive results in Phase 2 trials in obesity and type 2 diabetes in China. The Company is also advancing a diversified pipeline leveraging several mechanisms and routes of delivery, including oral administration. Kailera’s mission is to develop next-generation weight management therapies that give people the power to transform their lives and elevate their overall health. The Company is based in Waltham, MA and San Diego, CA. For more information, visit www.kailera.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X. 

Contact Information
Maura Gavaghan 
Vice President, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations 
maura.gavaghan@kailera.com