NEW YORK, Oct. 31, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LifeSci Advisors, an investor relations and corporate communications firm focused on the life sciences sector, announced today the 11th placement of a female executive to a life sciences company board as part of its Board Placement Initiative (BPI). LifeSci Advisors launched BPI last year with the goal of connecting female executives in the life sciences industry with companies looking for board candidates. The company is pleased to share that Andrea Hunt has joined the Board of Directors of Catalyst Biosciences, (Nasdaq:CBIO), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel medicines to address hematology indications. LifeSci Advisors will continue to make connections and look to match more candidates with open board seats in the coming months.

“I am thrilled to join the board of Catalyst Biosciences and look forward to helping them improve the lives of individuals living with hemophilia,” said Ms. Hunt. “I want to thank LifeSci Advisors for facilitating this connection.”

Andrea Hunt was most recently Vice President, New Product Gene Therapy, Neuroscience, Oncology & Ophthalmology at Shire Plc., where she was developing and integrating strategies for Shire’s gene therapy platform. Ms. Hunt came to Shire through its acquisition of Baxalta, where she led the Global Blood Disorders Franchise within the Hematology Division. Prior to Baxalta, Ms. Hunt held several positions of increasing responsibility at Baxter Healthcare leading to her appointment as project leader to Baxter Healthcare’s R&D program, BAX 855, now Adynovate™. Ms. Hunt served on the board for the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine and is an advisor to the Angiogenesis Foundation. Ms. Hunt earned her MBA in marketing from the University of Michigan and her B.S. in hospital dietetics and B.A. in foods and nutrition from the University of Illinois.

“We are pleased to have helped place Andrea on the Catalyst Biosciences Board, and know her expertise in hematology clinical development will be a huge asset to their team,” said Michael Rice, President and Co-Founder, LifeSci Advisors. “We plan to continue the success of our Board Placement Initiative in the coming months by matching more candidates with companies and improving gender diversity at the board level across our industry.”

“As a veteran of the life sciences industry, we know Andrea will bring unparalleled insight and invaluable guidance to our board,” said Nassim Usman, President & Chief Executive Office, Catalyst Biosciences. "We’re pleased to have her on our team as we continue the development of our hemophilia programs, and believe she will have a significant impact on the growth and success of the company.”

LifeSci Advisors’ Board Placement Initiative (BPI) was launched in the summer of 2016 with the goal of helping companies in the life sciences industry diversify and strengthen their company boards. Connections between companies and eligible board candidates are made after LifeSci has met with a company’s management team or board regarding the skills and expertise they are looking for in a candidate, and after the LifeSci team has properly vetted the board candidates. BPI has now helped to place eleven women on corporate boards, and is looking to continue to expand upon this success. With a proprietary online network of hundreds of resumes of board-ready women, LifeSci Advisors hopes that BPI can become a resource for both women executives and life sciences companies to network and grow.

BPI is accepting resumes from interested candidates and referrals on an ongoing basis. To find out how you can use the BPI network for your next board candidate search, visit www.lifesciadvisors.com/board-diversity-initiatives. Inquiries, resume submissions, and open board seat referrals can be sent to boarddiversity@lifesciadvisors.com.

LifeSci Advisors, LLC (www.lifesciadvisors.com) is the largest investor relations consultancy in the life sciences industry, founded to provide companies with a multi-faceted approach to investor communications and outreach. With a global focus and reach, the firm provides the highest quality service for its clients through its deep sector specialization. LifeSci’s team of MDs and PhDs enables the firm to better understand clients' R&D, regulatory and commercial strategies, and its team of financial services, investor relations and public relations specialists helps clients effectively communicate to the marketplace. This combination of life sciences, financial services, and investor relations competencies allows LifeSci Advisors to provide an invaluable and unique service offering to clients.

LifeSci Partners (www.lifescipartners.com) is the leading provider of consulting services in the areas of investor relations, public relations, corporate communications and capital markets advisory. Combining deep domain expertise in the life sciences with decades of experience in capital markets and public relations, LifeSci Partners delivers unparalleled services to life sciences companies globally.

For further information, please contact:

Ann Kaiser                                                                                         
The TASC Group
212-337-8870
ann@thetascgroup.com
www.thetascgroup.com