- Haseeb Ahmad brings over 25 years of leadership experience in life sciences, most recently serving as President of Novartis Europe and will lead the Company as it advances pioneering kidney disease programmes into clinical development and explores potential partnerships
- Appointment follows successful completion of Series B financing, raising $105 million, from a syndicate of high-quality investors
- Purespring is the first company to successfully treat kidney disease models by directly targeting the podocyte through its proprietary AAV gene therapy platform
- The Company currently has a pipeline of programmes in development, including its lead programme PS-002 targeting IgA Nephropathy (IgAN), and other complement mediated kidney diseases
London – 12 March 2025 - Purespring Therapeutics, a pioneering company focused on transforming the treatment of kidney diseases, today announces the appointment of Haseeb Ahmad as its Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors effective immediately.
Haseeb has been appointed to steer Purespring through a critical phase of development and growth. He brings significant senior industry leadership, joining Purespring with over 25 years in the life science industry and an impressive track record of leading organisations to create blockbuster brands from primary care to rare diseases, across both mature and growth markets. Haseeb served most recently as President of Novartis Europe where he oversaw $15 billion in revenue across 53 markets. Prior to this, he led Novartis Gene Therapies to bring first-class, potentially curative gene therapies to patients, including Zolgensma, the first blockbuster gene therapy worldwide. Previously Haseeb held numerous global and in country leadership roles at Novartis and Merck & Co. (MSD). Haseeb succeeds Julian Hanak, who has served as CEO since December 2022 and previous to that CDO since June 2021.
John Tsai, Chairman of Purespring’s Board of Directors said: “Haseeb's leadership expertise and proven track record make him an ideal fit for Purespring as we embark on a pivotal phase of development. Following our successful Series B financing, we are poised to expand our clinical activities, address larger indications and explore potential new partnerships and we are delighted to have someone of Haseeb’s calibre on board.
“On behalf of the Board, leadership team, and entire organisation, I want to express our sincere gratitude to Julian Hanak for his exceptional leadership and invaluable expertise over the past two years. Under his guidance, Purespring has successfully completed its Series B fundraising, securing the financial foundation necessary to advance our therapies into clinical development. Julian’s contributions have been instrumental in positioning the company for this critical next phase, and we wish him continued success in his future endeavours.”
Haseeb Ahmad, Chief Executive Officer said: “As one of the most exciting companies in this field, Purespring is leading the way in applying gene therapy to address unmet needs in kidney care. I am inspired by the company’s commitment to delivering breakthrough therapies and look forward to collaborating with its talented team and Board to revolutionise kidney disease treatment. This role holds deep personal significance for me as it continues the legacy of my late father, a pioneering nephrologist. Joining Purespring feels like a natural extension of his work, providing an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the advancement of kidney disease treatments”.
Purespring is the first company to successfully treat kidney disease models by directly targeting the podocyte, a specialised cell implicated in approximately 60% of renal disease, through its proprietary adeno-associated viral (AAV) gene therapy platform. The Company has a strong pipeline of programmes in development addressing both rare and large kidney disease indications. Its lead programme PS-002, is targeted to enter Phase I/II development for IgA Nephropathy (IgAN), a common, chronic kidney disease primarily affecting young adults. Other assets include programmes targeting other complement mediated kidney diseases, a programme targeting nephrotic syndrome and an undisclosed glomerular kidney disease programme.
Purespring’s platform technology allows working copies of genes to be delivered with high efficiency and specificity to podocytes, opening up a new and highly differentiated modality for disease modifying treatments to address a broad range of kidney diseases.
Julian Hanak will continue with the company for a period of time to ensure a smooth handover and will officially step down from the Purespring Board of Directors on 31st May 2025.
In October 2024, Purespring announced the completion of its £80/$105 million Series B oversubscribed financing led by Sofinnova Partners in collaboration with Gilde Healthcare, Forbion, British Patient Capital and founding investor Syncona. This was followed by the presentation of new preclinical data on IgAN at the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Kidney Week congress in San Diego (abstract #SA-OR63).
For further information, contact:
Purespring:
Peter Mulcahy
+44 (0)20 3855 6324
ICR Healthcare
Amber Fennell, Jessica Hodgson
Notes to Editors
About Purespring
Purespring is developing gene therapies to halt or prevent kidney disease, one of humankind’s most poorly treated disease areas.
Founded on the work of Professor Moin Saleem, Professor of Paediatric Renal Medicine at the University of Bristol, Purespring is the first company to successfully treat kidney disease by targeting the podocyte, a specialised cell that is implicated in the majority of renal disease. Purespring’s platform approach enables streamlined gene therapy development for both monogenic and non-monogenic renal diseases, offering the potential to halt, reverse and even cure both rare and common kidney diseases.
The Company currently has a pipeline of programmes in development including the lead asset for treatment of IgA Nephropathy (IgAN) and other complement mediated kidney disease. The Company also has programmes for diseases caused by mutations in the gene NPHS2, as well as other monogenic glomerular kidney diseases.
Based in London, the Purespring team combines world-leading expertise in podocyte biology and kidney disease with a wealth of experience in gene therapies, anchored in a culture of diversity, creativity and delivery.
Purespring is backed by leading biotech investors, including Syncona Limited, Sofinnova Partners, Gilde Healthcare, Forbion, and British Patient Capital and has raised £115M to date.
For more information please visit: purespringtx.com and follow us on LinkedIn.