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.
Former TreeFrog CEO leaps to Orano Med
Orano Med
The Orano group has selected a new leader for its oncology-focused Orano Med subsidiary in Frédéric Desdouits, who has sat on the governance board of the company since 2022. Desdouits’ appointment was attributed to his extensive experience across the biopharma industry and his “deep understanding” of Orano Med’s “activities and challenges,” given his board experience over the past four years, Orano group’s CEO Nicolas Maes said. Most recently, the executive served as the CEO of TreeFrog Therapeutics until departing at the end of 2025. Now at the helm of Orano, Desdouits will work on progressing new molecules to the clinic and advancing the company’s Sanofi-partnered tumor prospect AlphaMedix. Release
Another Idorsia exec out the door
Idorsia
Another Idorsia executive is following CEO Srishti Gupta, M.D., out the door. The Swiss pharma’s head of global clinical development and medical affairs, Alberto Gimona, M.D., is retiring, with Amer Joseph taking his place. Joseph will also enjoy the title of chief medical officer when he formally joins Idorsia on May 1. Joseph joins from Chiesi, where he most recently served as VP and head of global clinical development. Earlier in his career, he spent time in senior leadership at Bayer and GSK, building experience in respiratory, neonatology, cardiovascular and rare diseases. Idorsia’s interim CEO Jean-Paul Clozel praised Joseph’s “vision, discipline, and patient-focused mindset.” Release
Byondis looks within to find new leader
Byondis
Dutch biopharma Byondis announced that Christoph Korpus, Ph.D., has been appointed as its new CEO, having joined the company as chief business officer in 2025. Korpus succeeds Byondis founder Jacques Lemmens, Ph.D., who will remain chairman of the board. Korpus brings more than 15 years of experience in biopharma, spanning oncology R&D, digital innovation, and global business development. Prior to joining Byondis, he served as director of global business development and licensing for oncology at Merck KGaA.
As CEO, Korpus will lead the advancement of the company’s antibody-drug conjugate platforms, including its proprietary cytotoxic antifolate linker-drug platform, masking technology for conditional activation and immune-stimulatory linker-drug platform. Each of these platforms has generated a leading candidate along with multiple follow-on drug candidates. Release
> Cardiff Oncology is making Mani Mohindru, Ph.D.’s interim role as president and CEO permanent, while also teaming her up with Josh Muntner as chief financial officer and Ajay Aggarwal, M.D., as chief operating officer. Release
> Tenpoint Therapeutics has a vision for commercial growth with the appointment of renowned ophthalmologist and Alcon vet Stephen Lane, M.D., as chief medical officer. Release
> Corbus Pharmaceuticals’ Dominic Smethurst, M.D., is out as chief medical officer after two years in the role, resigning on April 1 in a departure that’s effective June 30. Filing
> Canadian biotech Zymeworks announced that it has removed the “interim” designation from the titles of Adam Schayowitz, Ph.D., and Scott Platshon. Schayowitz is now officially executive vice president and head of R&D, while Platshon serves as executive vice president and chief business officer. Release
> Nageatte Ibrahim, M.D., has been appointed chief medical officer of Medicenna Therapeutics, where she will serve in a fractional capacity, leveraging her experience in clinical development and oncology. Release
> Liane Teplitsky is now chief operating officer of bioelectric medicine company Pulse Biosciences, while David Kenigsberg, M.D., has assumed an expanded role as the company’s full-time chief medical officer. Release
> Texas-based targeted radiotherapeutics company Plus Therapeutics announced that Eric Daniels, M.D., will assume the role of chief development officer effective April 20, where he will focus on the development and approval of Plus’ pipeline. Release
> AI biotech Ailux is taking in former AstraZeneca SVP Maria Belvisi, Ph.D., as chief scientific officer, where she’ll use her academic and industry chops to breathe life into the company’s nascent pipeline.
> Pediatric device company Owlet is quickly rearranging its nest with President and CEO Jonathan Harris resigning and executive chairman and co-founder Kurt Workman taking charge. Story
> Hologic President and CEO Steve MacMillan is stepping down after nearly 13 years, marking the end of an era for the medtech company. Story
