Exhibit 99.1
Coya Therapeutics Promotes Arun Swaminathan Ph.D. to Chief Executive Officer Effective November 1st, 2024
Dr. Howard Berman, the founder of Coya, will transition to Executive Chair
of the Board effective November 1st, 2024
Dr. Arun Swaminathan is appointed to the Board of Directors effective immediately
HOUSTON, TX, August 19, 2024 Coya Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: COYA) (Coya or the Company), a clinical-stage
biotechnology company developing biologics intended to enhance regulatory T cell (Treg) function today announced that Arun Swaminathan Ph.D. has been promoted to the role of Chief Executive Officer effective November 1, 2024. He will succeed
Dr. Howard Berman who will continue to serve in the capacity of Executive Chair.
As we look forward to and prepare for the release of
Alzheimers data at the upcoming CTAD24 conference on October 29, 2024 in Madrid and continue to progress COYA 302 in ALS, the company will benefit from leveraging Dr. Swaminathans strategic, business development,
operational, and deal making experience to guide Coya through its next phase in the companys growth. Over the last 5 years across multiple companies, Dr. Swaminathan was instrumental in executing several company significant
commercial transactions in excess of $6 billion, including Coyas recent Dr. Reddys Laboratory licensing transaction of up to $700 million.
Coya also believes it will benefit from Dr. Swaminathans leadership in advancing COYA 302 in related programs such as Frontotemporal Dementia
(FTD), Parkinsons Disease (PD), and other immune mediated diseases.
Howard Berman, Ph.D., commented, Coya has grown quickly
to a clinical stage company and is poised, in partnership with Dr. Reddys Laboratories, to potentially bring these therapies to patients who desperately need them. We believe Arun has an incredible skillset to execute
on each of these milestones. He has been a foundational member of this team, instrumental in consummating our up to $700 million licensing transaction with
Dr. Reddys Laboratories. At this stage of our evolution, I can think of no one better skilled and dedicated to take us to the next level, to progress our assets forward in the
clinic and execute new business deals, all of which we believe will create value for our shareholders.
Prior to joining Coya as our Chief Business
Officer, a role he has served in since April 2023, Dr. Swaminathan executed significant commercial transactions at Alteogen Inc. and Actinium Pharmaceuticals. He also was the founder and CEO of Lynkogen, Inc., a company developing GLP-1 fusion
proteins. He began his career in clinical pharmacology and development and commercial roles of increasing responsibility at Bristol Myers Squibb and Covance and obtained his Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences from the University of Pittsburgh.
Dr. Swaminathan added, Im excited and grateful for the confidence Howard and our board of directors have placed in me. I look forward to
expanding our existing partnerships and continuing to leverage my long-standing relationships and knowledge of the industry on behalf of the company and its shareholders, building atop the strong foundation weve together created over the last
year. It is my mandate to bring our assets to patients as quickly as possible.