Adi HoessAdi Hoess describes himself as someone who “likes to build” companies focused on “challenging technologies.” It’s fitting, then, that after spending more than a decade as CEO of German biotech Affimed, he’s moving to nanomedicine company ViaNautis Bio.
Hoess is replacing ViaNautis co-founder Francesca Crawford as the company’s chief executive. The “wish list” for improving genetic medicines is long, but the issue “that really stands out” is that of “tissue- and cell-specific delivery,” Hoess told Endpoints News in an interview.
ViaNautis is working to tackle this problem with its PolyNaut platform, which enables intracellular delivery of a range of payloads. The UK biotech has passed the blood-brain barrier with its tech and is now working to deliver its payloads to certain cells in the lungs and immune system. Some of its programs will center on CNS diseases and cystic fibrosis, Hoess said.
A spinout of University College London, ViaNautis secured $25 million through a Series A raise in November last year, which should support its activities through early 2026. The company’s initial focus will be mRNA and siRNA therapeutics, alongside other RNA-based molecules.
Hoess’ first task at the UK biotech is “building a seasoned management team,” which includes the upcoming appointment of a new chief scientific officer. Before heading up Affimed, Hoess helped develop and launch the rare disease drug Firazyr at Jerini. — Ayisha Sharma
Jami Rubin→ Jami Rubin is departing her CFO post at Boundless Bio about 14 months after joining the early-stage cancer biotech, which she helped take public in a $100 million March IPO as $BOLD. It was a bold move indeed: The company’s share price has cratered 78%. The “Conglomerate Killer” and former longtime analyst decided to leave the San Diego startup for “personal reasons,” according to a Monday announcement. She will continue as a venture partner at early Boundless investor ARCH Venture Partners, a spokesperson for the VC firm told Endpoints.
Jonathan Dickinson→ Jonathan Dickinson is coming to Innate Pharma as CEO and chairman of the executive board on Nov. 1. Co-founder Hervé Brailly had been filling in as interim chief, and Mondher Mahjoubi spent seven years at the top spot until he became chief patient officer at GSK in February. Dickinson had a 13-year stint at Roche, with stops at Bristol Myers Squibb and Novartis sandwiched in between. He had been general manager, Europe for Incyte since 2016 and was bumped up to EVP three years later. Innate Pharma’s lead program lacutamab is being studied in patients with cutaneous T cell lymphoma and peripheral T cell lymphoma, and the French biotech is teaming up with AstraZeneca on monalizumab for non-small cell lung cancer.
Tim Buckley→ Pfizer has welcomed Tim Buckley to the board of directors during a messy and tumultuous period in which former execs showed their support for activist investor Starboard Value — until they didn’t. Buckley recently retired from Vanguard after 33 years with the company, six of those as CEO. Outside of the activist drama, Pfizer struck a molecular glue deal with Triana Biomedicines this week for $49 million upfront.
Kimi Iguchi→ A cascade of clinical disappointments has led to the latest reorg at Sage Therapeutics, where layoffs have affected 33% of its employees. CFO Kimi Iguchi and chief technology and innovation officer Matt Lasmanis are leaving, while general counsel Anne Marie Cook, SVP of technical operations Heinrich Schlieker, and R&D strategy and business management leader Amy Schacterle are following them out the door. Greg Shiferman has been promoted to general counsel, and external affairs chief Vanessa Procter will now be SVP of corporate affairs. The last time we went through this with Sage, zuranolone had been rejected in August 2023 for the much larger indication of major depressive disorder, resulting in more job cuts and the departures of longtime CSO Al Robichaud and development chief Jim Doherty. Zuranolone is marketed as Zurzuvae for postpartum depression. In this latest set of flops, dalzanemdor missed the mark in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, and SAGE-324 didn’t pass muster in essential tremor.
Francois Vigneault→ Francois Vigneault announced on LinkedIn that he is stepping down as CEO of Shape Therapeutics, the Seattle RNA editing shop that made a deal with Otsuka in September 2023 to develop AAV-based gene therapies for eye conditions. CSO David Huss has taken over as interim chief. Vigneault co-founded Shape in 2018 after two years with Juno Therapeutics and also formed an alliance with Roche that was initially worth more than $3 billion in milestones. “I’m eager to return to my passion for building groundbreaking early technology and taking on the next set of challenges across various industries,” Vigneault wrote. “I reflect on my time with ShapeTX with immense pride in what we have built together.”
→ Chip Romp has been named CEO of Secura Bio, replacing Joe Limber. Romp left Genentech in 2010 to become North American SVP of sales at Seagen and would eventually become EVP, commercial at the ADC powerhouse in 2020. Located within walking distance of the TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas — the golf course where the Shriners Children’s Open is being played on the PGA Tour this week — Secura Bio still markets its PI3K inhibitor Copiktra for third-line relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma despite a September 2022 vote against its benefit-risk profile from the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee.
Kathleen Sereda Glaub→ Elsewhere, CuraSen Therapeutics has picked up Kathleen Sereda Glaub as CEO, taking over the reins from Anthony Ford, who will now be president and CSO. Glaub was CEO of Afferent Pharmaceuticals and was president of Plexxikon, where she led the company’s nearly $1 billion sale to Daiichi Sankyo. Glaub serves on the board of IO Biotech and previously sat on the boards of Codexis, Aligos and Escient Pharmaceuticals. In addition to Glaub’s appointment, CuraSen has named Longitude Capital managing director Patrick Enright as chairman of the board.
→ Shire co-founder Peter Moriarty has turned up at Klotho Neurosciences as COO after Bob Langer joined the company’s scientific advisory board. Moriarty helped found Shire in 1986 with Dennis Stephens, Geoff Hall and Harry Stratford, and in 2011 he co-founded Prismic Pharmaceuticals, where he was CEO. FSD Pharma would buy Prismic in 2019. “What attracted me was its robust portfolio and the significant promise of its cell and gene therapy platform,” Moriarty said in a statement. “I believe Klotho Neurosciences is uniquely positioned to develop breakthrough treatments for neurodegenerative diseases like ALS, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.”
Mark Pruzanski→ French MASH biotech Inventiva has lined up Mark Pruzanski as chairman and made room for Samsara BioCapital’s Srinivas Akkaraju on the board of directors. Pruzanski is very familiar with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (also referred to NASH) as the former CEO of Intercept. His latest CEO gig at Versanis Bio resulted in an acquisition by Eli Lilly for $1.9 billion last year. Faced with a blinking check engine light, Inventiva replenished its cash with a “much-needed” €94.1 million infusion and the potential for a total of €348 million.
→ Two weeks ago, we told you about the hiring of CSO Debbie Law at Endpoints 11 winner Xaira Therapeutics, the startup led by Marc Tessier-Lavigne that made a billion-dollar debut in April. Additionally, Millennium HR vet Julia Tran has also jumped on board at Xaira as chief people officer. Tran co-founded the cybersecurity company Blue Lava before she became SVP of people — and later chief people officer — at Graphite Bio.
Yung Chyung→ Yung Chyung will resign as CMO of Tourmaline Bio on Oct. 31, according to an SEC filing, and he’ll have the same title at Keros Therapeutics on Nov. 1. Tourmaline hired Chyung in August 2022 after he was Scholar Rock’s medical chief for six years. The search has begun for a successor at Tourmaline, which has pacibekitug in Phase 2 for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and just assembled a cardiovascular scientific advisory board. Topline data are slated for the first half of next year. Keros is developing a pair of mid-stage candidates: elritercept for low blood cell counts or cytopenias in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes and myelofibrosis, and cibotercept for pulmonary arterial hypertension.
JJ Bienaimé→ JJ Bienaimé’s newest board seat is with Alpha-9 Oncology, the Longitude Capital-backed radiotherapy biotech once known as Alpha-9 Theranostics that launched in 2021 and raised a $75 million Series B a year later. Longtime Incyte CMO Steven Stein joins Bienaimé on the board. Since his retirement from BioMarin, Bienaimé has popped up several times in Peer Review, chairing the board at Owkin and racking up board appointments at Meliora Therapeutics, the aforementioned Keros Therapeutics and Immunome.
Paige Mahaney→ Stew Fisher is retiring as CSO of protein degradation specialist C4 Therapeutics, and Paige Mahaney will succeed Fisher on Oct. 28. Mahaney comes to C4 after three years as head of drug discovery at Exelixis and a dozen years with Boehringer Ingelheim, where she was SVP, global head of biotherapeutics discovery and discovery research site head. Fisher will be a scientific advisor for the rest of 2024 and will stay with C4 as a consultant next year.
Steven Chan→ Fremont, CA-based immunology upstart Attovia Therapeutics has tapped Steven Chan as finance chief. Chan spent the last three years as CFO of Connect Biopharma and worked for Arcus Biosciences as VP, finance & corporate controller. Attovia quickly secured a $105 million Series B round in May after launching in June 2023 with a $60 million Series A.
Sam Bakhoum→ Volastra Therapeutics has installed co-founder Sam Bakhoum as CSO — a position previously held by Michael Su. Bakhoum was a postdoc with fellow co-founder Lewis Cantley at Weill Cornell Medicine and had been a radiation oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Volastra hauled in a $60 million Series A last year and has two KIF18A inhibitors in its pipeline.
Jason Mitchell→ Eye disease-focused gene therapy developer Adverum Biotechnologies has recruited Jason Mitchell as chief commercial officer. At Apellis, Mitchell was involved with the commercial launch of the geographic atrophy drug Syfovre as head of sales and training. He came to Apellis from Gilead, where he was senior director of commercial learning and development.
→ California biotech Twist Bioscience has named Mike Fero as chief information officer. Fero was co-founder and CEO of TeselaGen Biotechnology. Earlier in his career, Fero was principal investigator and NIH Career Fellow at Stanford University.
Aaron Sato→ Co-founded by former CEO Tillman Gerngross, Adimab has selected Aaron Sato as chief strategy officer. During his six years with Twist Bioscience, Sato had been chief scientist and general manager of Twist Biopharma Solutions. He’s also held leadership roles at LakePharma (CSO), Surrozen (VP of protein sciences) and Sutro Biopharma (VP of research).
→ Matthew Korenberg has taken the CFO job at Palvella Therapeutics, the rare skin disease biotech that plans to reverse merge with Pieris Pharmaceuticals. Korenberg was promoted to president and COO of Ligand Pharmaceuticals in November 2022 after seven years as CFO.
Liz Holmes→ Essential Pharma has reeled in Liz Holmes as CMO. Holmes joins the UK-based team after a stint at Grail as senior medical director, Europe. Holmes’ résumé also includes stints at the NHS, Affimed, Merck and Daiichi Sankyo.
→ Canadian biotech Sernova has brought on a trio of execs: James Parsons as CFO (ex-Trillium CFO), Marylyn Rigby as chief communications officer, and Rigel Pharmaceuticals alum David Burke as VP of investor relations. Rigby is married to Jonathan Rigby, who was just named CEO at Sernova in August.
Michelle Morrow→ Oncology and diagnostics player Avacta has enlisted Michelle Morrow as CSO. Most recently, Morrow was SVP, head of innovation at invoX Pharma, which followed her stint as SVP, head of research at F-star Therapeutics. Earlier in her career, Morrow had gigs at MedImmune and AstraZeneca, where she worked on Imfinzi and volrustomig.
→ Photys Therapeutics has appointed Alexandra Joseph as CSO. Joseph had a 17-year career at Sanofi, culminating in her role as head of scientific portfolio management and operations for immunology and inflammation research. Before signing on with Photys, Joseph was EVP of biology at Exo Therapeutics and held roles at ImmuneID and Kiniksa.
→ Neuroscience tech company Cogstate has named Kaycee Sink as CMO to help support the company’s clinical trials in Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. Sink joins the team from Genentech, where she was principal medical director in neurodegeneration since 2017. Before that, she had a 13-year stint as professor of medicine, neurology and public health services at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
Sam Fakhoury→ Orasis Pharmaceuticals has lined up two new execs a week after announcing a Series D round that will bankroll the commercial launch for its presbyopia drug Qlosi. Jeff Francis (VP of sales) is a 15-year Alcon vet who was general manager of the glaucoma business unit at eye-focused medical device company Sight Sciences. Meanwhile, Sam Fakhoury (VP of quality and operations) had two separate stints at J&J and was elevated to COO at Trukera Medical, which was sold to Bausch + Lomb this summer.
→ Kim Drapkin is now chairing the board at neuro biotech Lucy Therapeutics. Drapkin was CFO of Jounce Therapeutics from 2015-23 and led Graphite Bio to a reverse merger with Lenz Therapeutics last year. Lucy raised $12.5 million in May, with Bill Gates and the Michael J. Fox Foundation chipping in.
Angie You→ Ken Song’s new autoimmune disease bet, Candid Therapeutics, has expanded its board of directors with the additions of ex-Amunix chief Angie You and Dan Puckett. You now leads Architect Therapeutics, and Puckett held the CFO post at Shockwave Medical for eight years until it was purchased by J&J for $13.1 billion.
→ Former Editas Medicine CEO Cynthia Collins has nabbed a spot on the board of directors at MaxCyte. You can also find Collins on the boards of Poseida Therapeutics, Nutcracker Therapeutics and cancer biotech Panavance Therapeutics, among others.
Emma Reeve→ CNS player Myrobalan Therapeutics, which unveiled a $24 million Series A to start the year, has carved out space for Editas chair Emma Reeve on the board of directors. Reeve has board seats at Endpoints 11 winner Cardurion Pharmaceuticals, PTC Therapeutics, ReAlta Life Sciences and Aadi Bioscience.
→ Ex-Geron commercial chief Anil Kapur has joined the board of directors at Sanofi and Gilead’s protein degradation partner Nurix Therapeutics. The J&J and Bristol Myers vet left Geron on Aug. 31, and he’s a board member at Verastem Oncology.
Kyle LaHucik contributed to this edition.