Ovid Therapeutics Announces Election of Industry Leader Douglas E. Williams, Ph.D., to Its Board of Directors

NEW YORK--()--Ovid Therapeutics Inc. (Ovid), a privately held biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies for rare and orphan diseases of the brain, today announced that Douglas E. Williams, Ph.D., has joined the Company’s Board of Directors, effective immediately. Dr. Williams, the founding Chief Executive Officer of Codiak Biosciences and former Executive Vice President, Research and Development at Biogen, possesses more than 25 years of scientific and senior leadership experience within the life sciences industry.

“Doug is a highly accomplished executive with an outstanding track record of both leading companies and drug development. His career spans the full breadth of executive experience in large and small biotechnology companies,” said Dr. Jeremy Levin, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Ovid. “His strategic insights and operating and R&D skills will complement the strengths of our Board. We welcome his appointment and note that it is a privilege to have Doug contribute as we build Ovid.”

Dr. Williams is President, CEO, and member of the Board of Directors of Codiak Biosciences. Previously, he served as Biogen’s Executive Vice President, Research and Development. He joined Biogen from ZymoGenetics, where he was most recently CEO and member of the Board of Directors until its acquisition by Bristol-Myers Squibb. Prior to this role, Dr. Williams held senior leadership positions within the biotechnology industry, including Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President of Research and Development at Seattle Genetics, and Senior Vice President and Washington Site Leader at Amgen. Dr. Williams also served in a series of scientific and senior leadership positions over a decade at Immunex, including as Executive Vice President, Chief Technology Officer, and a member of the Board of Directors.

He has served on the boards of numerous biotechnology companies and is currently a member of the Board of Directors for Ironwood Pharmaceuticals and Regulus Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Williams received his B.S. in biological sciences from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, and Ph.D. in physiology from the State University of New York at Buffalo, Roswell Park Memorial Institute Division.

“I am delighted to join Ovid’s Board. The company is differentiated by its innovative and thoughtful approach to neurological orphan diseases, strength of its management, and depth of its Board,” said Dr. Williams. “These factors contributed to my decision to join as this is an important area of medicine where there is an urgent need for new treatment approaches.”

About Ovid Therapeutics Inc.

Ovid Therapeutics Inc. is a privately held, New York-based, biopharmaceutical company committed to transforming the lives of patients with rare and orphan diseases of the brain. Ovid focuses on patients and their unmet medical needs. Using the significant operational, product development, and business development experience of its management team, Ovid aims to become a leading neurology company, with multiple products and a rich pipeline, coupled with compelling research and development. Ovid recently completed a substantially oversubscribed $75 million Series B financing led by Fidelity Management and Research Company and including Cowen Private Investments, Sanofi-Genzyme BioVentures, Tekla Capital Management, Sphera Global Healthcare Fund, Jennison Associates, Redmile Group, DoubleLine Equity Healthcare Fund, and Cormorant Asset Management, as well as additional blue chip mutual funds and leading life sciences investors.

For more information on Ovid, please visit http://www.ovidrx.com.

Contacts

Burns McClellan, on behalf of Ovid Therapeutics
Justin Jackson, 212-213-0006, ext. 327
jjackson@burnsmc.com

Contacts

Burns McClellan, on behalf of Ovid Therapeutics
Justin Jackson, 212-213-0006, ext. 327
jjackson@burnsmc.com