Berlent will report to Merakris CEO Chris Broderick and be responsible for corporate strategy and business operations including new business development. He will serve as a member of the company’s Executive Management Committee.

Berlent has spent the last 20 years in executive leadership roles within the pharmaceutical and life science industries. He most recently served as President of North American Operations for Sentiss Pharmaceuticals, a sterile ophthalmic developer, manufacturer and distributor of U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved products. In that role, he spearheaded Sentiss’ strategic growth through R&D driven portfolio initiatives and global market expansion, including the acquisition of a diverse portfolio of products and an FDA-approved cGMP sterile manufacturing facility.

Berlent holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Michigan and an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business, where he majored in finance and management.

“Jonathan’s extensive healthcare experience, proven track record and industry insights are a welcome addition to Merakris’ leadership team,” Broderick said. “In particular, his experience developing growth strategies will be critically important as we continue to expand our pipeline and strategic initiatives through business development. Jonathan’s appointment heightens our focus on leveraging our platform technologies and cGMP facilities for expanding our commercial footprint.”

“I’m impressed by the talent at Merakris, and the tremendous progress the business has made in developing its line of innovative wound care products in the eight years since it was founded,” Berlent added. “I look forward to helping drive Merakris’ expansion efforts and to strengthening its leadership position in wound healing and tissue regeneration.”

About Merakris

Merakris Therapeutics – founded in 2016 and headquartered in Research Triangle Park, N.C. – pioneers the use of commercially scalable stem cell-derived biotherapeutic technologies to promote the healing of damaged tissue. The company also is investigating other novel biotechnology solutions that promote wound healing and tissue regeneration.

Merakris Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. These statements include projections and estimates regarding the marketing and other potential of Merakris’ products, or regarding potential future revenues from any such product. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "plans" and similar expressions. Although Merakris’ management believes that any forward-looking statements in this press release are reasonable, investors are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of Merakris, that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include among other things, unexpected regulatory actions or delays, or government regulation generally, that could affect the availability or commercial potential of the product, the fact that product may not be commercially successful, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including future clinical data and analysis of existing clinical data relating to the product, including post marketing, unexpected safety, quality or manufacturing issues, competition in general, risks associated with intellectual property and any related future litigation and the ultimate outcome of such litigation, and volatile economic and market conditions may have on us, our customers, suppliers, vendors, and other business partners, and the financial condition of any one of them, as well as on our employees and advisors and on the global economy as a whole.

Bryant HaskinsOtter Creek Communicationsbryanthaskins@gmail.com(c) 973 590 9537