Confo Therapeutics Appoints Dieter Weinand, Former CEO of Bayer Pharmaceuticals, as Independent Chairman

Ghent, Belgium – August 29, 2023 – Confo Therapeutics, a leader in the discovery of medicines targeting G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), today announced the appointment of Dieter Weinand as Independent Chairman of its Board of Directors. Mr. Weinand brings with him a wealth of experience with more than 35 years in the pharmaceutical industry and over 25 years as the leader of geographic and strategic business units and drug commercialization efforts across global organizations, including several years as the President, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Bayer Pharmaceuticals AG. He joins Confo as the company advances its pipeline and continues to leverage its proprietary GPCR drug discovery engine. Mr. Weinand succeeds John Berriman, who is retiring from his current position as Chairman of Confo’s Board of Directors.

“Dieter is an exceptional leader in the pharmaceutical industry with a proven track record across the spectrum of research and development to commercialization, bringing impactful medications to patients. A chairman of his caliber will be invaluable as we continue progressing as an organization with a truly innovative GPCR-targeting technology and a growing pipeline of novel drug candidates,” said Cedric Ververken, CEO of Confo Therapeutics. “On behalf of the Confo team, I sincerely thank John Berriman for his guidance over the past seven years and his contributions to Confo’s growth into a clinical-stage drug development company.”

“Confo is moving on an exciting trajectory, harnessing the momentum of a pivotal agreement with Eli Lilly for its first clinical program, CFTX-1554, and building out a robust pipeline of large and small molecules based on its unique platform,” added Dieter Weinand, Independent Chairman. “I look forward to working together with the Confo team to advance the company through its next stages of growth and to achieve its future strategic business and pipeline objectives.”

Mr. Weinand has had a highly successful career across all areas of pharmaceutical development, commercialization, and international organizational leadership. Most recently, he was Head of Global Primary Care Business at Sanofi where he led the optimization of the company’s portfolios. Before this, he was President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board of Bayer Pharmaceuticals AG, where he was responsible for integrating the R&D, manufacturing, and all commercial and support functions of the healthcare business of the Bayer AG corporation. Mr. Weinand held various senior management positions across international corporations including at Bristol-Meyers Squibb and Pfizer. He has been instrumental in the launch and marketing of some of the industry’s pivotal products including Lipitor®, Neurontin®, Abilify® and Cipro®. Mr. Weinand holds a B.A. in Biology from Concordia College, New York, and an M.S. in Pharmacology and Toxicology from Long Island University, New York. Mr. Weinand is Chairman of the Board of Nasdaq-listed Replimune (REPL), FORE Biotherapeutics, and ZielBio, among others.