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Olav Hellebø
Exonate Ltd. has appointed Olav Hellebø as Chief Executive Officer, reinforcing its leadership team as the biotechnology company advances the development of novel, non-invasive small-molecule therapies for retinal vascular diseases.
Hellebø will lead Exonate through its next phase of growth, including preparations for the Phase IIb clinical trial of its lead candidate, EXN407, for diabetic eye disease.
Hellebø brings extensive executive leadership experience spanning the global biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, with expertise in ophthalmology, immunology, and oncology. Throughout his career, he has successfully led commercial operations, business development, corporate strategy, and clinical growth initiatives across international healthcare organizations.
Before joining Exonate, Hellebø served as Chief Executive Officer of ReNeuron Group plc, where he secured the in-licensing of a Retinitis Pigmentosa program from the Schepens Eye Research Institute, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, and led equity financings totaling US$125 million.
Earlier in his career, Hellebø held several senior leadership positions, including Executive Vice President at Schering-Plough, now part of Merck & Co., where he led the U.S. Biotech and Oncology business unit. He also served as Chief Operating Officer of Novartis UK and was a member of the Novartis Global Pharmaceutical Executive Committee. In addition, he served as President of Immunology at UCB, where he established and led the company's Immunology Division following its acquisition of Celltech plc.
Hellebø has also served on the boards of several biotechnology companies and currently holds director positions at Oncoinvent and Cytovation, while serving as Chair of Blue Cell Therapeutics and ION Therapeutics.
He graduated summa cum laude in International Business Studies from Hofstra University and earned an MBA from IESE Business School. His appointment positions Exonate to advance its clinical pipeline and strategic growth in ophthalmic therapeutics.
