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 Gabrielle Masson and it will be featured here at the end of each week.
Less than a year in, BenevolentAI CEO is out
BenevolentAI
It’s been a whirlwind year for Joerg Moeller, M.D. After being appointed CEO of BenevolentAI in January, Moeller is now out the door of the AI drug discoverer, effective immediately. Moeller previously spent 19 years at Bayer, including in leadership roles. Co-founder Kenneth Mulvany has been appointed executive chairman after previously serving as chairman until July 2021. Mulvany returned to the company’s board in May. Another co-founder, Michael Brennan, is now chief strategy and financial officer. Release
Deshaies descends from Amgen research perch
Amgen
Amgen is on the hunt for a new senior vice president of research—and the former job holder is helping with the search. After about seven years at the company, biopharma veteran Ray Deshaies, Ph.D., retired from his role effective July 30, a company spokesperson confirmed to Fierce. Deshaies will remain on staff at the California biotech through the end of the year to identify, mentor and onboard his successor. Deshaies, a pioneer in targeted protein degradation, was featured as one of Fierce’s most influential people in biopharma in 2022. A successor has not yet been found, the spokesperson said. Social media post
Sage’s reorg scrambles executive team
Sage Therapeutics
With an eye toward long-term growth, Sage Therapeutics laid off 165 staffers that represent 33% of its total workforce and 55% of its R&D team. Among those cuts are Senior Vice President of R&D Strategy and Business Management Amy Schacterle, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer Matt Lasmanis, Chief Financial Officer Kimi Iguchi, Senior Vice President of Technical Operations Heinrich Schlieker, Ph.D. and General Counsel Anne Marie Cook. To fill the gaps, Chief Business Officer Chris Benecchi will take on an expanded role as chief operating officer overseeing finance, information technology and technical operations while continuing to head up business development, medical affairs and commercial. The changes should be complete by the end of the year and follow last year’s workforce cuts of 40%. Story
> CRO Sygnature Discovery has appointed IQVIA and GSK vet Amira Modi as chief operating officer and board member. Release
> Women’s health biotech Evvy has appointed its first chief medical officer, Kate McLean, M.D., and published a peer-reviewed study of its vaginal health test. Release
> Cancer immunotherapy company Innate Pharma has tapped Jonathan Dickinson as CEO, replacing interim CEO Hervé Brailly, a co-founder who served in the top spot during the search process. Release
> Specialty pharma group Essential Pharma is looking to advance its first clinical-sage oncology drug with the help of new Chief Medical Officer Liz Holmes, M.D., the company’s first CMO. Release
> Michelle Morrow, Ph.D., will take over as chief scientific officer at Avacta Group after splitting from her role as head of invoX Therapeutic Innovation at invoX Pharma. Release
> Mikkel Wandahl Pedersen, Ph.D., will join Commit Biologics as chief scientific officer, replacing founder Nick Laursen, Ph.D., who will take on the role of head of discovery. Release
> CuraSen Therapeutics promoted co-founder and executive chair Kathleen Sereda Glaub to the CEO spot, succeeding co-founder Anthony Ford, Ph.D., who will continue on as president and chief scientific officer. Release
> Yung Chyung, M.D., is leaving his post as chief medical officer at Tourmaline Bio to serve the same role at Keros Therapeutics after former Chief Medical Officer Simon Cooper resigned in February. Release
> C4 Therapeutics’ longtime Chief Scientific Officer Stewart Fisher, Ph.D., is hanging up the gloves and leaving the position to Paige Mahaney, Ph.D., following her tenure as head of drug discovery at Exelixis. Release
> Marc Montserrat is taking over the CEO role at DNA Scripts from founding CEO Thomas Ybert, Ph.D., who will now serve as chief scientific officer. Release