Yann Echelard

Yann Echelard joined Flagship Pioneering in 2018, focusing on internal biotechnology innovation and venture creation. Prior to Flagship, Yann was president and CEO at rEVO Biologics, which developed and commercialized therapeutics for thromboembolic disorders and critical care. At rEVO Biologics (and its predecessors Genzyme Transgenics and GTC Biotherapeutics) since 1994, Yann was initially involved with technology development leading to the commercial application of somatic cell nuclear transfer technology in large animals and to the regulatory approval of ATryn®, the first transgenically-derived therapeutic. Later, his involvement in business and corporate development culminated in the eventual acquisition of GTC by LFB SA, the French plasma fractionator. In addition to his role at rEVO and LFB, Yann was also engaged in spinning-out several companies out of the LFB group, such as Hema Biologics (focused on bleeding disorders), LFB-USA (transgenic platform), and TG Therapeutics.

Yann earned his Ph.D. from Université de Montréal in the laboratory of Dr. Alexandre Sasarman, working on the genetic characterization of heme biosyntesis pathway. After initial postdoctoral training in oncology at the Ludwig Institute Montreal branch (McGill University), he was a visiting scientist in the laboratory of Andy McMahon at the Roche Institute and at Harvard University where he worked on the regulation of Wnt-1 and on the isolation and functional characterization of the Hedgehog genes, the first identified vertebrate morphogens.

Yann is currently a director at TG Therapeutics (NASDAQ:TGTX), a New York City based biotechnology company focused the B-cell malignancies and auto-immune disorders.