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 or Zoey Becker and it will be featured here at the end of each week.
Sanofi snags CMO from BioMarin
Sanofi
Eight months after Sanofi’s former chief medical officer, Dietmar Berger, M.D., departed, the French drugmaker has selected Marcia Kayath, M.D., Ph.D., to fill the role. Kayath will start in her new role at Sanofi Sept. 2 and will report to Sanofi’s R&D head, Houman Ashrafian, Ph.D. Most recently, Kayath served as senior vice president and global head of medical affairs at BioMarin. Before that, she clocked in eight years at Novartis across various leadership positions, including CMO. She’s also logged clinical research time at both Pfizer and Eli Lilly. Story
Anti-aging outfit lands BioNTech vet
clock.bio
Rejuvenation biology company clock.bio is looking far ahead to commercialization with the appointment of Michael Boehler, M.D., as chief business officer. Boehler previously spent more than five years at BioNTech, establishing the company’s commercial foundation as vice president of global commercial and later also heading up its operations in Germany and Turkey. Before BioNTech, Boehler served in senior leadership roles at Takeda, Kite Pharma and Amgen. Clock.bio is currently working to advance its platform through strategic partnerships. Release
Acadia scoops seasoned dealmaker as business chief
Acadia Pharmaceuticals
Kostantina “Tina” Katcheves is bringing her business expertise to Acadia Pharmaceuticals as the rare disease drugmaker’s new SVP, chief business and strategy officer. With 20 years of industry experience, the exec comes to Acadia fresh off of a year as Teva’s SVP of business development, alliance management and acquisitions. Before that was a three-year stint across various leadership positions at Bristol Myers Squibb, where she is credited with spearheading the company’s $14 billion Karuna Therapeutics acquisition and leading more than $18 billion in transactions during her tenure. At Acadia, Katcheves is looking to “identify and execute strategic initiatives that will drive innovation and deliver meaningful therapies to patients,” along with the team, she said. Release
> Recently returned CBER chief Vinay Prasad, M.D., has come back to the FDA in a diminished capacity, without his previous additional title of chief medical and scientific officer. Webpage
> New RNA company Arnatar Therapeutics has entered the arena, armed with $52 million and Ionis veteran Xuehai Liang, Ph.D., at the helm as CEO and co-founder. Joining Liang are fellow Ionis vet Yanfeng Wang, Ph.D., as chief operating officer and Roger Liu, M.D., as chief medical officer. Story
> Eyeing an IPO, LB Pharmaceuticals has initiated a wave of layoffs and said goodbye to Chief Financial Officer Roger Sawhney, M.D., and Chief Scientific Officer Andrew Vaino, Ph.D. Story
> Lisa Taylor Ash is the new chief legal officer and secretary of Sonoma Biotherapeutics, joining from her dual roles of chief operating officer and general counsel at Shape Therapeutics. Release
> Commercial biopharma Hutchmed is appointing Chief Financial Officer Johnny Cheng as acting CEO effective immediately, while CEO Weiguo Su, Ph.D., takes a leave of absence for health reasons. Release
> Tango Therapeutics’ Douglas Barry is dipping out of his position of chief legal compliance officer and corporate secretary, opting to pursue another opportunity. Filing
> James Bucher is taking over as chief legal officer and corporate secretary at Zentalis Pharmaceuticals, as Andrea Paul is leaving the spot open in favor of a large, international law firm. Release
> Women In Bio selected its first CEO in its executive director Gina Ford, who will help lead the continued growth of the organization that focuses on advancing women in the life sciences field. Release
> Australian biotech Vaxxas is looking for a new CEO as David Hoey steps down to a strategic advisor role following 14 years of leadership, with Chief Financial Officer Doug Cubbin also leaving amid 10% layoffs at the company. Report
> Carrum Health is welcoming a new chief financial officer in Andrew Steinberg and bringing in Richard Eskew as its new chief legal officer, strengthening the leadership team as the company moves toward its next phase of growth. Release
