DENVER, Colo. (247marketnews.com) — Paragon Labs is making its next move in biotech and the backdrop is a reported $10.9 billion acquisition of Apogee Therapeutics by AbbVie in 2026. Now, members of Apogee’s former senior leadership team are joining Paragon, bringing experience advancing Paragon-discovered drug candidates into clinical development.
The new leadership group includes CEO Michael Henderson, M.D.; Head of R&D Carl Dambkowski, M.D.; Chief Business and Financial Officer Dan Mulreany; Chief Legal Officer Matt Batters; and Chief People Officer Emily Cox. Their mission: help turn promising biologics into clinical-stage medicines and build companies around assets with commercial potential.
Henderson described the opportunity as a chance to apply lessons from Apogee earlier in the development process. “We now have an opportunity to apply those lessons to clinical development, regulatory strategy and execution from the very start,” he said.
The leadership expansion arrives alongside a second consequential development: Alaunos Therapeutics (NASDAQ:TCRT) has completed its acquisition of Velaris Therapeutics, a privately held biotech developing treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and related cardiopulmonary diseases. Velaris is the ninth company built around assets discovered by Paragon and the first launched with support from Paragon’s expanded leadership team.
Velaris brings a portfolio of ActRII-Fc ligand traps and complementary biologics designed to address signaling pathways involved in pulmonary vascular remodeling. Its pipeline includes VLR199, VLR247 and VLR258, as well as VLR360, an antibody targeting PDGF-B. The programs offer distinct approaches to a serious disease area, but their ultimate value will depend on clinical evidence, safety, regulatory progress and, eventually, commercial execution.
Founded by Fairmount in 2021, Paragon has established a model built around discovering differentiated biologics, forming companies to advance selected assets and bringing in leadership to guide development. Its roster includes Apogee, Spyre Therapeutics, Oruka Therapeutics, Jade Biosciences and other emerging biotechnology companies.
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