• Dr Zaiba Malik appointed Chief Medical Officer and Julia Jones Chief Financial Officer
• Tasked with driving Transformative Topical Diabetic Retinopathy Treatment FOV407 through Phase IIb trial and Series A funding

CAMBRIDGE, England, Sept. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Foventa Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on novel therapies for retinal vascular diseases, today announced that it has further strengthened its management team with the appointments of Dr Zaiba Malik as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Julia Jones as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

They will assist recently appointed CEO Olav Hellebø in securing Series A funding to take lead asset FOV407 into a Phase IIb trial. The new team are united in their belief that FOV407 can become the first topical therapy for diabetic retinopathy.

Both Zaiba and Julia bring decades of biotech industry experience to Foventa. Zaiba has worked for over 20 years in clinical ophthalmology and ophthalmic drug development across industry and academia, most recently as Global Medical Director and Therapeutic Area Lead for Ophthalmology at Medpace. She received her medical degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine and completed her ophthalmology residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Michigan. She continues to see patients in clinical practice and participate in humanitarian ophthalmology, bringing a unique perspective on the impact of advances such as FOV407 in eye care.

Having qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PWC, Julia has bult up a strong track of supporting biotech companies in both the US and Europe from start up through to exit, assisting in securing and then the management of circa £1.5 billion of Venture Capital funds. Notable clients to date include Benuvia Operations Inc, PepGen Inc, MiroBio Ltd, Amphista Therapeutics Ltd, and Congenica Ltd.

“I am delighted to welcome Zaiba and Julia to the Foventa team,” said CEO Olav Hellebø. “They share our belief that FOV407 has the potential to become one of the most innovative treatments introduced into the ophthalmology market in recent years and will make a real difference to the lives of patients.”

About Foventa

Foventa Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to preserving sight through the development of innovative ophthalmic medicines. Our lead programme, FOV407, is being developed as a topical eye drop for non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), a common complication of diabetes that can lead to irreversible vision loss. Unlike current treatments that are typically reserved for later stages of disease and require injections into the eye, FOV407 is designed to offer a non-invasive approach that could enable earlier intervention and greater patient convenience.  Built on years of research into retinal biology, angiogenesis and vascular leakage, Foventa combines scientific innovation with a patient-first mindset.

For more information, visit www.foventa.com

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SOURCE Foventa Therapeutics