Welcome to this week's Chutes & Ladders, our roundup of significant leadership hirings, firings and retirings across the industry. Please send the good word—or the bad—from your shop to Darren Incorvaia, Zoey Becker, or Will Maddox and it will be featured here at the end of each week.
Former Legend CEO lands at K2
Just weeks after Legend Biotech announced the departure of its CEO, Ying Huang , K2 Therapeutics has announced that Huang will now lead the startup, which was founded in 2024 with a $50 million seed round from MPM BioImpact.
With offices in Singapore and Boston, K2 has eight candidates in its pipeline spanning a range of modalities, including antibody-drug conjugates and T-cell engagers. Its programs range from preclinical to clinical stage, according to the release.
Ying left Legend without a successor after helping shepherd the CAR T-cell immunotherapy Carvykti for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma to market. Before serving as Legend's CEO and, previously, CFO, Ying was head of biotech equity research at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Release
VIB-spin off Tanai appoints new CEO
Tanai Therapeutics announced the appointment of Josua Jordi , Ph.D., as the new CEO. Jordi, who was serving as Tanai’s CSO, is succeeding founding CEO, Pieter Rottiers , Ph.D. The Belgium-based biotech was founded in 2023 as a spin-off from the Flemish Institute of Biotechnology (VIB) and Ghent University. The biotech is focused on developing small molecules for obesity and cardiometabolic disease by targeting energy expenditure pathways.
“We have a compelling opportunity to advance a differentiated small molecule portfolio in obesity and cardiometabolic disease. My focus will be on setting clear priorities, advancing our programs toward key development milestones, and positioning Tanai for meaningful value creation,” Jordi said in a release.
Jordi previously helped co-found EraCal Therapeutics, where he helped with the licensing of their oral small molecule to treat obesity to Novo Nordisk. Following his tenure at EraCal, he led drug discovery efforts in metabolism at Roche before joining Tanai as the CSO. Release
Transition at Bicara ahead of phase 2/3
Bicara Therapeutics CEO, Claire Mazumdar , Ph.D., is passing the torch. After seeing the company from its 2020 launch through an upsized 2024 IPO and the start of its pivotal FORTIFI-HN01 trial, the founder is handing the reins to president and COO Ryan Cohlhepp , beginning January 1.
Before coming on as Bicara’s president in 2020, Cohlhepp was senior vice president of R&D strategy and operations at Rheos Medicines, which shut down in 2023. He brings his operational expertise as Bicara prepares for the potential commercialization of ficerafusp alfa, a bifunctional antibody designed to increase tumor penetration.
Bicara expects an interim analysis of the phase 2/3 FORTIFI-HN01 trial, which looks at the efficacy of ficerafusp alfa in patients with HPV-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Mazumdar will step into an advisory role as vice chair of the board of directors and strategic advisor. Release
> Mark Forman , M.D., Ph.D., will assume the roles of chief development officer and chief medical officer for small-molecule biotech Acelot as the company looks to advance from the preclinical stage with its treatments for neurodegenerative diseases like ALS. Release
> Biotech builder Flagship Pioneering has announced that Fidah Alsagoff will serve as executive partner and head of global initiatives, while Maggie Sahlman will serve as executive partner and head of fundraising and investor relations. Release
> Oncology biotech Erasca has appointed Charles Fuchs , M.D., as president of research and development as the company prepares to commercialize its RAS-targeting franchise. Release
> RNAi therapeutics company City Therapeutics appointed Keith Regnante as the new CFO. Regnante has experience ranging from financial leadership at Keros Therapeutics and Biogen to consulting at KPMG and BCG. City is also adding Mary Beth DeLena to the team as their new chief legal officer. Release
> San Francisco’s Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) brings infectious disease outbreak expert, Brad Schneider , Ph.D., in as new COO. He succeeds Jacqueline Fabius after her nine-year run at QBI. Release
> Obesity-focused Kailera adds Nur Nicholson as chief technology officer as they advance ribupatide, their injectable GLP-1/GIP, through global phase 3 trials. Release
> Specialty contract research organization Chinilabs named Laura Shannon as its new chief executive officer. Shannon succeeds founder Gary Zammit , Ph.D. who will step into the role of executive chairperson. Release