Appointment adds extensive commercial, operational, and strategic leadership experience as Avalyn advances its pipeline of inhaled therapies for pulmonary fibrosis
BOSTON, March 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avalyn Pharma Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering inhaled therapies to transform the treatment paradigm of serious, rare respiratory diseases, today announced the appointment of Kate Haviland to its Board of Directors. Ms. Haviland brings more than two decades of biopharmaceutical leadership experience, including her tenure as President and Chief Executive Officer of Blueprint Medicines, where she played a central role in the company’s transformation from a discovery-stage organization to a fully integrated commercial enterprise.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kate to our Board, adding another accomplished biopharma leader with deep commercial and strategic expertise to our team,” said Lyn Baranowski, CEO of Avalyn. “As we advance our lead assets through Phase 2 in pulmonary fibrosis and continue to build our broader inhaled antifibrotic portfolio, Kate’s track record in scaling organizations through global commercialization will be invaluable. She brings thoughtful, multi-disciplinary leadership and a proven ability to guide companies through important inflection points. Her experience comes at a pivotal time as Avalyn moves toward late-stage development and prepares for long-term commercial readiness. We look forward to benefiting from her insights as we work to redefine the standard of care of pulmonary fibrosis.”
“There is an extraordinary unmet need in pulmonary fibrosis, where patients face a devastating disease with limited and often poorly tolerated treatment options,” said Ms. Haviland. “By preferentially targeting the lungs, Avalyn is taking an elegant approach that has the potential to transform standard of care for patients while building a compelling growth opportunity for the company. I am excited to support the team as they advance the pipeline of promising clinical assets and prepare to deliver these potential new medicines to patients around the world.”
Ms. Haviland most recently served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Blueprint Medicines, and before that as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Business Officer, through the company’s $9.5 billion acquisition by Sanofi in 2025. During her near decade-long tenure at Blueprint Medicines, Ms. Haviland was instrumental in driving the company’s growth, overseeing the development and execution of its commercial strategy, business development initiatives, and capital markets activity. She also established and provided ongoing management of critical functions spanning portfolio strategy, corporate development, international expansion, technical operations, and corporate affairs. Prior to Blueprint Medicines, Ms. Haviland held senior leadership roles focused on building emerging, high-growth companies and advancing innovative therapies at Idera Pharmaceuticals, Sarepta Therapeutics, PTC Therapeutics, and Genzyme.
Ms. Haviland currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors at both Fulcrum Therapeutics and GC Therapeutics, Inc., as an independent Board Director at Bicara Therapeutics, as a member of the Board of Directors at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), and as a Trustee at the Boston Museum of Science. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.A. from Wesleyan University with a double major in biochemistry/molecular biology and economics.
About Avalyn Pharma
Avalyn aims to transform the treatment paradigm for pulmonary fibrosis and other serious, rare respiratory diseases. The company is advancing optimized inhaled formulations of established antifibrotic medicines designed to deliver drug directly to the lungs, enhance local efficacy, and reduce systemic side effects. Avalyn’s AP01 program is an optimized inhaled formulation of pirfenidone currently being evaluated in MIST, a global Phase 2b clinical trial in patients with progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF). AP01 has demonstrated encouraging safety and clinical activity across Phase 1b and an ongoing, multi-year open-label extension trial, with long-term data supporting the potential to preserve lung function while improving tolerability relative to historical oral pirfenidone. Avalyn’s AP02 program is an optimized inhaled formulation of nintedanib currently being evaluated in AURA, a global Phase 2 clinical trial in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Avalyn is also advancing AP03, an inhaled fixed-dose combination of pirfenidone and nintedanib, designed to deliver dual antifibrotic mechanisms through a single lung-targeted platform. By leveraging its proprietary drug-device approach and deep expertise in rare respiratory disease development, Avalyn aims to establish a new standard of care in pulmonary fibrosis through inhaled, lung-targeted therapies. For more information, please visit avalynpharma.com and follow the company on LinkedIn.
Investor Contact:
Cassie Saitow, Avalyn Pharma Inc.
Sr. Director, IR and Corporate Communications
ir@avalynpharma.com
Media Contact:
Kat Lippincott, Deerfield Group
kat.lippincott@deerfieldgroup.com
media@avalynpharma.com
