LEIDEN, Netherlands — AVIGI Therapeutics B.V., a pre-clinical stage biopharmaceutical company specializing in covalent small-molecule drugs, is keen to announce the addition of Professor Hiddo Lambers Heerspink to its advisory team.
As a global authority in clinical pharmacology and renal medicine, Professor Heerspink joins AVIGI as the company intensifies its focus on its lead asset, VL166. His expertise will be pivotal as AVIGI transitions its proprietary precision heparanase (HPSE) inhibition technology from the lab toward clinical validation, specifically targeting the biological mechanisms that drive kidney disease progression.
Professor Heerspink is Professor of Clinical Trials and Personalized Medicine at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG). He is internationally recognized for his work in optimizing treatment strategies to halt the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular diseases.
In addition to his role at UMCG, he is affiliated with The George Institute for International Health and serves as a visiting professor at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.
"We are very happy to welcome Professor Heerspink to the advisory team," said Dr. Vincent Lit, CEO of AVIGI Therapeutics. "His track record in leading landmark renal trials will be invaluable as we prepare our clinical strategies for VL166 and work toward our mission of 'reclaiming time' for patients by fighting renal disease at its core."
Professor Heerspink’s expertise in clinical trial design and personalized medicine provides a rigorous foundation for AVIGI’s development programs. He has successfully led numerous landmark trials, including DAPA-CKD, FIND-CKD, ALIGN, and the ZENITH High Proteinuria trials, and co-chairs the CAPTIVATE platform trial in nephrology.
Key Career Highlights:
- Lead investigator for transformative CKD and proteinuria clinical studies.
- Over 500 peer-reviewed publications; editorial board member of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism and the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
- Reviewer and committee member for the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the American Society of Nephrology (ASN).
Disclosures
Professor Heerspink is a consultant to various pharmaceutical companies and has received honoraria from AstraZeneca, Alexion, Amgen, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Dimerix, Eli-Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Roche, and Travere Pharmaceuticals.
About AVIGI Therapeutics
Based in the Bio Science Park in Leiden and a spinout from Leiden University, AVIGI Therapeutics utilizes a biomimetic approach to drug design. The company creates novel molecules that bind covalently and selectively to the active site of heparanase (HPSE). By inhibiting this enzyme, a key driver of tissue remodeling and renal damage, AVIGI aims to develop first-in-class therapies that offer superior safety and precision for patients with disease.
For more information, visit www.avigitx.com or follow us on LinkedIn.