Hoba Therapeutics, a Danish biotech company dedicated to developing novel therapeutic proteins for patients living with chronic neuropathic pain and hearing loss, today announced the appointment of Jean Combalbert as Chair of the Board of Directors.
“I am delighted Jean has been appointed as Chairperson of the Board. Together with the rest of Hoba’s management team and Board, I would like to welcome him to the company. We are excited to have Jean joining as chairperson at Hoba,” said Torsten M. Madsen, CEO of Hoba Therapeutics. “Jean brings unprecedented experience, passion, and drive to deliver new innovative treatments to patients suffering from chronic pain disorders and hearing loss. Hoba will benefit hugely from Jean’s expertise
and leadership in drug development, financing and corporate development”
Jean Combalbert PharmD, PhD has an impressive track record with over 25 years of experience building research and development-stage biotech companies and achieving high-value exits. Jean is currently chairperson at Kynos Therapeutics Ltd, and a non-executive director at Epics Therapeutics SA, having previously served as its founding CEO from 2017. Jean was Chair of the Board at Syndesi Therapeutics SA from 2018 until its sale to AbbVie in 2022. Previously, he was CEO of Ogeda SA from
2006 until its sale to Astellas Pharma Inc. in 2017. Earlier in his career, Dr Combalbert held senior positions with Sanofi and Galderma in France and the United States.
“Hoba is in a unique position to deliver truly transformative therapies for patients with chronic neuropathic pain disorders,” said Jean Combalbert. “Hoba has an exciting pipeline of innovative compounds aimed at the underlying causes of diseases and thereby bring a differentiated approach to treating these diseases. I am excited to join the company and I look forward to working with the highly skilled management team and the Board as Hoba moves into clinical development”
About Hoba Therapeutics
Hoba Therapeutics is a Danish biotech developing restorative treatments for chronic pain disorders and hearing loss. Both indications have a clear unmet medical need for safe and efficacious treatments for millions of patients worldwide. Hoba Therapeutics is developing HB-086 for the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain. HB-086 is a non-opioid compound with a unique mechanism of action targeting the peripheral nervous system to reverse neuropathic pain and the underlying cause of the disease. The second drug candidate HB-097 is a pharmacological treatment for sensorineural hearing loss. Preclinical data of HB-097 show both a preventive effect of hearing loss by protecting nerve cells and a regenerative effect by reversal of already induced damage.
Hoba Therapeutics was founded in 2016 by Novo Holdings and Borean Innovation. Hoba Therapeutics received the Accelerator grant from the European Innovation Council in 2021 and the Grand Solution grant from Innovation Fund Denmark in 2018.
Hoba Therapeutics completed on December 11th, 2023 a Series A financing of EUR 23 M. The financing was co-led by Indaco Venture Partners and Medical Incubator Japan, and included investments from Novo Holdings, Eir Ventures, the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO) and The European Innovation Council Fund.
Media contact
Torsten M. Madsen, MD, Ph.D. CEO
E-mail: tmma@hobatherapeutics.com
Hoba Therapeutics ApS
Ole Maaløes vej 3
Copenhagen
DK-2200