Attovia Therapeutics appoints John Smither to board

Attovia Therapeutics appoints John Smither to board

U.S. futures hold on to gains after data shows producer prices cooled in June SAN CARLOS, Calif. - Attovia Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, announced today the appointment of John W. Smither to its board of directors as an independent director and chair of the audit committee, according to a press release statement. Smither currently serves as chief financial officer of MBX Biosciences (NASDAQ:MBX) and as a senior advisor to Frazier Life Sciences. He previously held chief financial officer positions at multiple biotechnology companies, including Arcutis Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ:ARQT), which has delivered a 74% return over the past year and maintains an impressive gross profit margin of 91%.

According to InvestingPro analysis, ARQT appears undervalued at current levels, with analysts expecting net income growth this year. The platform offers 8 additional ProTips for investors evaluating the company. He serves on the board of directors of NewAmsterdam Pharma (NASDAQ:NAMS), where he chairs the audit committee, and Genelux Corporation (NASDAQ:GNLX), where he chairs the compensation committee.

Smither holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from California State University, Los Angeles. The company also announced that Yuling Luo, a co-founder and director, will step down from the board. Luo is the inventor of the ATTOBODY technology that forms the basis of Attovia’s platform.

Attovia develops biotherapeutics for immune-mediated diseases. The company’s programs include ATTO-1310, an anti-IL-31 therapeutic in clinical development for chronic pruritic diseases, ATTO-2306, a bispecific antibody targeting IL-31 and IL-13 in IND-enabling studies for atopic dermatitis, and ATTO-1091, a trispecific antibody in IND-enabling studies for inflammatory bowel disease. The company filed a prospectus with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on July 14, 2026.

In other recent news, Arcutis Biotherapeutics reported its Q1 2026 earnings, revealing a notable miss on earnings per share (EPS) expectations, with an actual EPS of -$0.09 compared to the forecast of -$0.05. However, the company’s revenue exceeded forecasts, reaching $105.4 million against an expected $103.72 million. Additionally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted Arcutis’s supplemental New Drug Application for ZORYVE cream 0.05% to treat atopic dermatitis in infants aged 3 to 24 months.

The FDA has set a target action date of February 23, 2027, for this application. Moreover, the FDA approved an expanded indication for Zoryve cream 0.3% to treat plaque psoriasis in children as young as 2 years old. Previously, this treatment was approved for patients aged 6 and older.

In other developments, Arcutis launched a virtual health platform to connect patients with independent, board-certified dermatologists for chronic inflammatory skin diseases. This platform aims to provide easier access to dermatological evaluations and treatments through a digital interface.