PHILADELPHIA, PA — Latus Bio added veteran biopharmaceutical executives Donald Hayden and Michael MacLean to its board as the Philadelphia biotechnology company moves into clinical development with gene therapies targeting CLN2 disease and Huntington’s disease.
Hayden was appointed chairman, while MacLean joined as an independent director and chair of the Audit Committee. The appointments add pharmaceutical operating, financing and transaction experience as Latus transitions into a clinical-stage company.
The company’s lead programs are LTS-101 for CLN2 disease and LTS-201 for Huntington’s disease. Both are investigational adeno-associated virus, or AAV, gene therapies being advanced into clinical trials.
Latus is developing AAV capsid variants intended to deliver gene therapies to specific tissues and cell types at low doses. Its pipeline targets genetically defined central nervous system and peripheral disorders.
Hayden brings more than four decades of biopharmaceutical experience, including 25 years at Bristol Myers Squibb, where he ultimately served as president of Global Pharmaceuticals.
He has chaired the board of Otsuka America Pharmaceutical since 2008 and previously served as chairman of biotechnology companies including Insmed, REGENXBIO, Amicus Therapeutics, Vitae Pharmaceuticals, Areteia Therapeutics, WindMIL Therapeutics, Dimension Therapeutics and Gloucester Pharmaceuticals.
“With two lead programs advancing into clinical development and a platform built to address a broad range of other disorders, I am honored to join this exceptional team and to help guide the Company through its next phase of growth,” Hayden said.
MacLean most recently served as chief financial officer of Avidity Biosciences, where he helped lead the company through its acquisition by Novartis in 2026 for more than $12 billion.
His previous positions include chief financial officer and executive vice president at Akcea Therapeutics and PureTech Health and senior vice president of finance and chief accounting officer at Biogen Idec.
MacLean also served as an independent director of Verve Therapeutics through its 2025 acquisition by Eli Lilly. He currently serves as an independent director of CAMP4 Therapeutics and sits on the board of Research Alliance Corporation III.
The appointments give Latus additional board experience in biotechnology acquisitions and capital management as its development programs approach clinical milestones.
“The Company is rapidly approaching key clinical inflection points,” MacLean said.
Latus Chief Executive Officer P. Peter Ghoroghchian said Hayden’s experience building and chairing biotechnology companies and MacLean’s operating, financial and transaction background would support the company as its two lead programs move into clinical development.
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