Diagonal Therapeutics Expands Executive Leadership Team, Appoints Industry Veteran Jonathan Piazza as Chief Financial Officer

WATERTOWN, Mass., May 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Diagonal Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing disease-modifying clustering antibodies that correct dysregulated signaling in severe genetic diseases, today announced the appointment of Jonathan Piazza as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Jonathan is a seasoned biotech executive with more than 25 years of expertise spanning company building, strategic finance, capital markets and M&A.

“Jonathan brings extensive leadership experience and a demonstrated track record of supporting portfolio development through strategic capital formation in high-growth biotechnology companies,” said Alex Lugovskoy, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Diagonal. “His expertise in guiding organizations through value-generating inflection points will be instrumental as we advance DIAG723 through clinical development and progress our early-stage pipeline.”

“Diagonal is entering a pivotal chapter as it advances DIAG723 and additional programs into the clinic,” said Mr. Piazza. “The company’s foundational approach unlocks tremendous opportunity to deliver meaningful, disease-modifying therapeutics to people living with diseases where limited or no treatment options exist. I look forward to partnering with the team to help realize that goal.”

Mr. Piazza most recently served as CFO of Orbital Therapeutics until its acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb. Prior to Orbital, he served as CFO of Silverback Therapeutics, where he led the company's initial public offering (IPO) and played a key role in its merger with ARS Pharmaceuticals. Earlier in his career, he spent 15 years in healthcare investment banking as a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs and Barclays and as a member of Lehman Brothers' healthcare team, advising on financing and strategic transactions across biopharma and the life sciences. He began his career in engineering, development, and international marketing roles at Abbott Laboratories (now AbbVie and Abbott), and later worked as a financial advisor at Smith Barney (now part of Morgan Stanley). Mr. Piazza earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from The Ohio State University and an MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.

About DIAG723
DIAG723 is a clustering antibody designed to address the root cause of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), in which dysregulated ALK1 signaling in endothelial cells drives the formation of fragile arteriovenous malformations or vascular hyperproliferation, respectively. DIAG723 restores signaling lost due to mutations that impair receptor function. In multiple HHT preclinical studies, DIAG723 prevented and reversed arteriovenous malformations and anemia — a hallmark of HHT that can cause a host of bleeding-related complications in various organs. DIAG723 was also found to restore signaling in multiple HHT patient donor samples. In preclinical models of PAH, DIAG723 prevented disease development and cardiac remodeling and improved hemodynamics. DIAG723 also restored normal signaling in pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells derived from multiple PAH donors. DIAG723 has received orphan drug designation from the U.S. FDA and the EMA for the treatment of HHT.

About Diagonal Therapeutics
Diagonal Therapeutics is a biotech company advancing novel disease-modifying clustering antibodies that repair dysregulated signaling implicated in a range of illnesses. The Company's DIAGONAL Product Engine combines proprietary computational and experimental techniques to overcome historical challenges associated with antibody drug discovery and efficiently deliver optimized therapeutic assets. Diagonal's pipeline comprises clustering antibodies designed to selectively address the underlying cause of disease across hematology, hepatology, and nephrology, offering the potential to deliver life-changing therapies for patients. For more information, please visit www.diagonaltx.com.

Media Contact
media@diagonaltx.com

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.