Anabella Villalobos
About Anabella Villalobos
Dr. Anabella Villalobos, age 66, is an independent Class II director of Coya Therapeutics, serving on the board since May 2021 with a current term through the 2027 annual meeting . She is a veteran R&D leader in neuroscience and drug development, formerly head of Biotherapeutics and Medicinal Sciences at Biogen (2017–2025) and previously a 28‑year executive at Pfizer; she holds a B.S. in Chemistry (University of Panama), a Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry (University of Kansas, Fulbright‑Hayes), and was an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow at Yale .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biogen Inc. (Nasdaq: BIIB) | Head of Biotherapeutics & Medicinal Sciences | 2017–2025 | Led delivery of differentiated candidates across small molecules, biologics, oligonucleotides, and gene therapy for neuro, rare and autoimmune diseases . |
| Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) | VP Medicinal Synthesis Technologies and Neuroscience Medicinal Chemistry (and prior roles) | ~28 years (ended 2017) | Teams delivered >30 small molecule candidates for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, schizophrenia, depression, insomnia; championed CNS MPO design practices; noteworthy assets include Ogsiveo (SpringWorks) and tavapadon (AbbVie) reaching market/Phase 3 PoC, respectively . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | No current public company directorships disclosed for Dr. Villalobos in the proxy . |
Board Governance
- Independence: Determined independent by the Board under Nasdaq and SEC rules .
- Classification/Term: Class II; director since 2021; term continues to the 2027 annual meeting .
- Committee assignments: Compensation Committee (Chair); Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (Member) .
- Attendance and engagement: In 2024, the Board met 5 times; Audit 4; Compensation 1; Nominating & Corporate Governance 1. All directors other than Mr. Ross attended at least 75% of meetings (implies Dr. Villalobos met the ≥75% threshold) .
- Comp committee interlocks: None disclosed (no executive officer of Coya serves on another company’s board/comp committee with Coya executives) .
Fixed Compensation (Non‑Employee Director – 2024)
| Item | 2024 Amount ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fees earned or paid in cash | 53,752 | Actual 2024 cash compensation for Dr. Villalobos . |
Non‑Employee Director Compensation Policy (Structure):
- Annual retainer: $40,000 (Chairman: $60,000 if non‑employee) .
- Committee fees (annual): Audit Chair $15,000 / Member $7,500; Compensation Chair $10,000 / Member $5,000; Nominating & Governance Chair $7,500 / Member $3,750 .
- Delivery: Board may deliver compensation in stock options at its discretion .
Performance Compensation (Equity) – Director
| Item | 2024 | Vesting/Terms | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock option awards (grant‑date fair value) | 29,725 | Time‑based; see policy terms below | 2024 director option award fair value for Dr. Villalobos . |
| Annual automatic option grant (policy) | 10,000 options | Fully vests at 1‑year; 10‑year term; strike = FMV at grant | Applies upon joining and each Jan 1 for then‑serving non‑employee directors . |
| Clawback/recoupment | Subject to clawback policy pursuant to exchange listing/Dodd‑Frank | Board may impose additional recovery terms | 2021 Plan awards are subject to recoupment per company policy and law . |
| Change‑in‑control treatment | Board discretion: assume/continue, accelerate vesting, cancel for consideration, or cash out | — | 2021 Plan CoC mechanics summarized in proxy . |
No director performance metrics are disclosed; director equity is time‑based per policy .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Committees | Interlock/Conflict Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| None disclosed | — | — | No other public company boards disclosed for Dr. Villalobos . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Neuroscience and modality breadth: Leadership across small molecules, biologics, oligonucleotides, and gene therapy; delivery of >30 small‑molecule development candidates .
- Notable pipeline outcomes: Contributions tied to Ogsiveo (SpringWorks, market) and tavapadon (AbbVie, Phase 3 PoC) .
- Education: B.S. (University of Panama), Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry (University of Kansas, Fulbright‑Hayes), NIH Postdoctoral Fellow at Yale (synthetic organic chemistry) .
Equity Ownership
| Component | Amount | Detail/Status |
|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (shares) | 32,557 | Includes 10,000 common + options exercisable within 60 days (22,557) . |
| Ownership as % of SO | <1% | Per beneficial ownership table footnote; asterisk indicates <1% . |
| Common shares | 10,000 | Directly owned . |
| Options exercisable ≤60 days | 22,557 | Included in beneficial ownership . |
| Options not exercisable ≤60 days | 10,000 | Excluded from beneficial ownership calculation . |
Insider Trades
| Date (event/filing) | Security | Size/Terms | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1, 2024 (grant); Form 4 filed Jan 19, 2024 | Stock options (non‑employee director annual grant) | 10,000 options per automatic grant policy; 1‑yr vest; 10‑yr term; FMV strike | Company disclosed an inadvertent late Form 4 filing for this grant; size/terms per director equity policy . |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with deep neuro drug‑development credentials; chairs the Compensation Committee and sits on Nominating & Corporate Governance—useful for pay design and board refresh; attendance met the ≥75% threshold; company has anti‑hedging policy and plan‑level clawback language applicable to awards .
- Alignment: Mix of modest cash fees with annual time‑based option grants; as of May 6, 2025 she beneficially owns 32,557 shares (<1%), including options exercisable within 60 days .
- Watch items: Minor compliance footnote—one late Form 4 in Jan 2024 for the annual director option grant (administrative error). Compensation Committee held one formal meeting in 2024, with approvals frequently by unanimous written consent (9 times), which is common for small‑cap biotech but worth monitoring for oversight rigor as responsibilities scale .
- Conflicts/related‑party: No related‑party transactions involving Dr. Villalobos disclosed; no compensation committee interlocks reported .