Welcome to this week's Chutes & Ladders, our roundup of hirings, firings and retirings throughout the industry. Please send the good word—or the bad—from your shop to Fraiser Kansteiner, and we will feature it here at the end of each week.
Ex-GSK immunology chief takes over oncolytic virus biotech Candel
Candel Therapeutics
Paul-Peter Tak, M.D., Ph.D. joins as president and chief executive officer.
Tak takes the reins at Candel after a stint at Flagship Pioneering, where he was a venture partner, and Kintai Therapeutics—a Flagship company focused on precision enteric medicines—where he was CEO. Tak previously served as CEO of Tempero Pharmaceuticals, which he brought into GlaxoSmithKline. There, Tak was chief immunology officer and global R&D head for immuno-inflammation, infectious disease and oncology. He joins as Candel, previously known as Advantagene, gears up for a busy year. In 2021, the company plans to start a phase 3 study for its glioblastoma program and “try to accelerate the timeline” of its pancreatic cancer program. It also expects readouts from two phase 1 studies in glioblastoma and a phase 2 study in non-small cell lung cancer. Fierce Biotech
Sanofi, Evotec veteran Carter joins Fierce 15 winner Dewpoint
Dewpoint Therapeutics
Kara Carter, Ph.D., was named senior vice president of discovery biology.
Carter joins the biotech with 20 years of experience in the life science industry. She previously served as executive vice president, infectious diseases, at Germany's Evotec, where she headed up the virology therapeutic area. She also led the virology therapeutic portfolio at French pharma juggernaut Sanofi. At Dewpoint, Carter is set to work on biomolecular condensates—liquidlike droplets made of proteins and RNA—which the company is using to find new ways of discovering drugs. Fierce Biotech
Enanta taps long-time Vertex vet as SVP, new product strategy and development
Enanta Pharmaceuticals
Tara L. Kieffer, Ph.D., signed on as senior vice president, new product strategy and development.
Kieffer joins from Vertex, where she served in a number of roles. Most recently, she was vice president, external innovation, business development, where she kept tabs on the external innovation landscape and led projects to identify licensing and acquisition opportunities. She also oversaw Vertex's internal development pipeline and marketed products in her previous role as vice president, integrated program management, and occupied three other positions at Vertex before that. Kieffer signs on with Enanta as the company advances its pipeline of virology and liver disease meds. The company is looking ahead to multiple readouts in 2021, with programs in respiratory syncytial virus, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, SARS-CoV-2 and more. Release
> Dutch pharma SeraNovo tapped Michiel Van Speybroeck as chief development officer. Speybroeck was most recently corporate technology officer at Ardena, where he also previously served as head of formulation. Release
> Global Blood Therapeutics signed on world-renowned hematologist Kim Smith-Whitley, M.D., as executive vice president and head of research and development. Smith-Whitley serves as clinical director of hematology and director of the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and will continue seeing patients part-time once she officially joins GBT in 2021. Release
> Princeton, New Jersey-based Oyster Point Pharma named Marian Macsai, M.D., as chief medical officer, and Eric Carlson, Ph.D., as chief scientific officer. Macsai most recently served as chief of the division of ophthalmology for NorthShore University Health System, while Carlson was most recently chief scientific officer and executive vice president at Akorn Pharmaceuticals. Release
> San Diego's Molecular Assemblies appointed Phil Paik, Ph.D., as vice president, platform development. He joins after a stint at Illumina, where he led fluidics architecture development for instrument and integrated cartridge-based platforms as associate director of engineering. Release
> Chiesi USA tapped Jon Zwinski as general manager and CEO, succeeding President and CEO Ken McBean, who has held the position since September 2011. Zwinksi has been an executive leader at Chiesi for more than eight years, most recently serving as senior vice president of sales and head of the cardiovascular business unit. Release
> Tübingen, Germany-based mRNA specialist CureVac has named Antony Blanc, Ph.D., as chief business officer and chief commercial officer. Blanc previously worked with biotech clients as a venture partner with management consulting firm McKinsey & Company. Release
> Jupiter, Florida's Marizyme has signed on Steven Brooks, M.D., as EVP of medical and regulatory affairs and chief medical officer. Meanwhile, Donald Very, Ph.D., joins the executive management team as EVP, research and development. Release
> Dublin-based Avadel Pharmaceuticals has tapped Jennifer Gudeman to assume the newly formed role of vice president, medical and clinical affairs. Prior to joining Avadel, Gudeman was VP, medical affairs at AMAG Pharmaceuticals. She served as director of medical affairs at Lumara Health before that. Release
> Kronos Bio appointed Pasit Phiasivongsa, Ph.D., as senior vice president, pharmaceutical development. Phiasivongsa was senior vice president, technical operations, at Principia Biopharma, a Sanofi company, where he led all chemistry, manufacturing and controls development, manufacturing and supply chain-related activities. Release
> Marietta, Georgia-based MiMedx has named Jack Howarth as senior vice president of investor relations. Howarth joins the MiMedx team from Antares Pharmaceuticals, where he served as VP, corporate affairs. Prior to that, Howarth was the head of corporate and investor relations for King Pharmaceuticals before it was acquired by Pfizer. Release