Montara Therapeutics Appoints Dirk Landgraf as Chief Business Officer and Miles Gerson to its Board as it Prepares to Enter the Clinic
Dirk Landgraf, Ph.D., a founding investor, transitions from Montara’s Board of Directors to its executive team as
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- Dirk Landgraf, Ph.D., a founding investor, transitions from Montara’s Board of Directors to its executive team as Chief Business Officer to lead corporate and business development.
- Miles Gerson, a Partner at SV Health Investors, assumes SV’s seat on Montara’s Board.
- Montara has established preclinical proof of concept for MTX-E1, the lead program from its BrainOnly™ platform, and is completing IND-enabling studies as it advances toward first-in-human trials.
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Montara Therapeutics, Inc., a preclinical-stage biotech company developing safer and more efficacious treatments for neurological diseases, today announced that founding investor and board member Dirk Landgraf, Ph.D., has transitioned from the company’s Board of Directors to its executive team as Chief Business Officer. Miles Gerson, Partner at SV Health Investors and co-leader of the Dementia Discovery Fund (DDF), has assumed SV’s seat on Montara’s Board. Both appointments come as Montara prepares to enter the clinic, having demonstrated proof of pharmacology in large-animal models with MTX-E1 and completed GLP safety studies of its first BrainOnly™ peripheral blocker.
“Dirk has helped shape Montara from day one, and his decision to join the executive team reflects his conviction in our science and the opportunities ahead as we prepare to enter the clinic,” said Nicholas Hertz, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Montara Therapeutics. “Dirk’s deep knowledge of the company and his experience in venture investing and business development position us well to pursue strategic partnerships and future financings to advance our programs. Miles brings complementary experience in company building, business development, and corporate venture investing to the Board.”
Dr. Landgraf has been involved with Montara since its inception as a founding investor through DDF, leading the fund’s initial investment in Montara and helping create and finance the company. He also served on Montara’s Board of Directors for more than two and a half years. Dr. Landgraf joined SV/DDF in early 2020 and served as a Principal on the investment team, where he helped form and fund companies developing new medicines for dementia. During his tenure at SV, he led DDF’s seed investment in Montara and advised five other DDF portfolio companies on strategy, business development, operations, and governance, including three additional roles as a board director or observer. Before joining SV, he was an Associate Director in Biogen’s External Innovation and Business Development group, where he led scientific diligence for business development opportunities across several therapeutic areas in neurology, including Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, stroke, and technologies designed to enhance drug delivery to the brain. He earned his Ph.D. in Systems Biology from Harvard Medical School and completed postdoctoral research at the Whitehead Institute at MIT, studying protein misfolding associated with neurodegenerative diseases.
As Chief Business Officer, he will lead Montara’s corporate and business development activities, including strategic partnering and fundraising.
Mr. Gerson brings extensive experience spanning business development, corporate venture investing, and company building. He joined SV Health Investors as a Partner in 2026 and co-leads the DDF from the firm’s Boston office. Previously, he served as Head of Takeda Ventures. DDF is a specialized venture capital fund focused on building and investing in companies developing novel therapeutics for dementia and other age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
“Montara’s BrainOnly platform has the potential to drug targets long considered undruggable. The team’s success in advancing this platform towards the clinic makes this an exciting moment to join the Board,” said Miles Gerson. “SV and DDF remain deeply committed to Montara. Dirk’s move into an operating role and my appointment to the Board reflect our continued conviction in and active support of the company. We are particularly excited about BrainOnly’s potential in dementia and other age-related neurodegenerative diseases.”
“Having backed Montara from the start and worked closely with the founding team for more than three years, I have seen the company translate BrainOnly from a compelling scientific concept into a development-stage platform,” said Dr. Landgraf. “That progress, together with the broad therapeutic potential of brain-selective pharmacology, made this the right time for me to join the executive team and lead Montara’s partnering and financing strategy as we prepare to enter the clinic.”
About BrainOnly™ and MTX-E1
Montara’s BrainOnly™ platform enables brain-specific pharmacology by restricting deleterious on-target activity in peripheral tissues and has the potential to make numerous previously undruggable targets therapeutically accessible. The company’s lead program, MTX-E1, targets seizures associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), with first-in-human studies planned for early 2027.
About Montara Therapeutics
Montara Therapeutics is a preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pursuing novel approaches to develop safer and more efficacious treatments for neurological diseases. The company is backed by top-tier investors, including SV Health Investors’ Dementia Discovery Fund, Two Bear Capital, KdT Ventures, and Dolby Family Ventures. For more information, visit montaratx.com.
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