Altimmune Expands Board, Appoints Teri Lawver and Jerry Durso

Altimmune, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALT) announced on February 24, 2025, that its Board of Directors has expanded from eight to ten members with the appointment of two seasoned industry executives, Teri Lawver and Jerry Durso.

Lawver, 58, most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Dexcom, where she led global commercial strategy and operations from January 2023 until December 2024. Her nearly 30-year career includes leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson, where she was responsible for billion-dollar immunology and cardiovascular/metabolic portfolios, and management consulting experience with McKinsey & Company. Lawver holds an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University.

Durso, 57, comes to Altimmune with over 30 years of biopharmaceutical leadership experience. He most recently served as President, Chief Executive Officer, and director at Intercept Pharmaceuticals, having led the company’s strategic initiatives and commercialization efforts. His prior tenure at Sanofi saw him hold a series of senior roles, most recently as Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of the Global Diabetes Division. Durso earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Notre Dame.

Both new directors were appointed upon the recommendation of Altimmune’s Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. They will be compensated in accordance with the Company’s Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy, which includes an initial option award and an annual cash retainer. In related disclosure, each has entered into indemnification agreements similar to those provided to existing directors.

In a press release issued on February 25, 2025, Altimmune’s President and Chief Executive Officer Vipin K. Garg, Ph.D., expressed enthusiasm about the board expansion. He noted that the addition of Lawver and Durso is timely as the company moves into late-stage clinical development for pemvidutide and begins preparations for a potential transition to a pre-commercial stage organization. He highlighted their extensive experience overseeing late-stage development, regulatory approvals, and product launches, which is expected to enhance Altimmune’s strategic vision for the pemvidutide franchise targeting obesity and metabolic-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).

The appointments of Lawver and Durso are seen as part of Altimmune’s broader strategy to leverage expert leadership as the company advances its next-generation peptide-based therapeutics. The Board’s expansion reflects a commitment to strengthening governance and broadening the experience base during a transformative period for the company.

This article was generated by an automated content engine and was reviewed by a human editor prior to publication. For additional information, read Altimmune’s 8K filing here.

About Altimmune

Altimmune, Inc, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on developing treatments for obesity and liver diseases. The company's lead product candidate, pemvidutide, a GLP-1/glucagon dual receptor agonist that is in Phase 2 trial for the treatment of obesity and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.