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.
Cardiff churns C-suite to advance cancer candidate
Cardiff Oncology
Cardiff Oncology is churning its leadership team as the biotech advances its colorectal cancer candidate onvansertib toward late-stage clinical development. CEO Mark Erlander, Ph.D., and Chief Financial Officer James Levine are both stepping down from their roles, triggering a search for their permanent successors. In the meantime, Cardiff board member Mani Mohindru, Ph.D., will take over as interim CEO, while Brigitte Lindsay has been promoted to chief accounting officer. Cardiff shared updated data from onvansertib’s phase 2 trial last summer, which disappointed investors; the treatment arm’s advantage over the control in objective response rate narrowed compared to a previous data cut. Erlander started at Cardiff as chief scientific officer in 2013 before being named CEO in 2020. His interim replacement Mohindru has chief exec experience from stints at Novasenta and CereXis. Release
Lexeo lands Big Pharma cardiologist
Lexeo Therapeutics
Genetic medicine outfit Lexeo Therapeutics is bringing in a heavy-hitting heart expert as chief medical officer, naming Big Pharma vet Narinder Bhalla, M.D., to the top doctor spot. An experienced cardiologist, Bhalla most recently spent close to four years at Bristol Myers Squibb as SVP and head of global medical, immunology and cardiovascular. Before that, Bhalla worked for more than seven years at AstraZeneca, rising to the role of executive director for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Bhalla’s know-how will come in handy as Lexeo looks to advance its gene therapy for cardiomyopathy, LX2006. Bhalla is joined by fellow new face Hayes Dansky, M.D., as VP of late-stage cardiology development. Chief Technical Officer José Manuel Otero, Ph.D., meanwhile, has been transferred to the role of chief operating officer, while Greg Aubert, M.D., Ph.D., was promoted to VP of early-stage cardiology development and translational science.
At the same time as Bhalla’s appointment, Lexeo’s head of research Eric Adler, M.D., is moving over to Myoventive, a cardio-focused RNA medicine company that Lexeo co-founded in 2025. There, Adler will take the top spot of president and CEO. Release
Janux goes with Gilead vet Go as CMO
Janux Therapeutics
As Chief Medical Officer Zachariah McIver, Ph.D., hits the exit at Janux Therapeutics in favor of other opportunities, the company is going with William Go, M.D., Ph.D., as his successor. Go joins the company with 20 years of work across hematology and oncology under his belt, having most recently served in the same executive role at solid-tumor-focused A2 Biotherapeutics. Before that, the Carleton College alum held senior leadership positions at Kite Pharma and later Gilead Sciences after starting his career at Amgen, giving him a breadth of development and regulatory experience that will “strengthen our organization as we scale,” Janux’s CEO David Campbell, Ph.D., noted. Release
> Physician-scientist and rheumatologist Jan Hillson, M.D., is zigging over to Zag Bio to oversee clinical development and strategy for its lead diabetes program as chief medical officer. Release
> Taiho Oncology’s CEO Tim Whitten is stepping down after 13 years at the helm, giving way for experienced CEO Peter Melnyk to take over effective immediately. Release
> Seasoned executive Antoinette Paone hung up her chief operating officer hat at Generation Bio to join degenerative muscle disease-focused Satellos Biosciences as its chief development officer and head of regulatory affairs. Release
> Gedea Biotech has selected a new leader to guide its transition into a commercial company with Julie Waras Brogren, who will take the place of current CEO Annette Säfholm come April. Release
> Biogen’s Dana Conti is changing his title to the head of strategic growth, innovation and stakeholder engagement after two years as the company’s head of North America corporate affairs. LinkedIn
> Merck & Co.’s Jenelle Krishnamoorthy, Ph.D., has been promoted to the role of SVP and head of global policy and public affairs, where she will spearhead the Big Pharma’s U.S. and global policy strategy, a spokesperson told Fierce Biotech.
> After 11 years as president and CEO of biomedical research outfit the Wistar Institute, Dario Altieri, M.D., is stepping down from the role while a search launches for the institute’s next leader. Release
> Swiss biotech TECregen has tasked new CEO Klaas Zuideveld, Ph.D., with furthering its mission of rejuvenating thymus cells. Release
> Dong-Gun Kim is adding another title to his list, now serving as CEO of Elevar Therapeutics in addition to leading Immunomic Therapeutics and HLB US, the American division of parent company HLB Group. Elevar’s former CEO Bryan Kim will still lead HLB’s Verismo Therapeutics. Release
> Cell manufacturing outfit Cellino has named its co-founder Marinna Madrid, Ph.D., to its board of directors and expanded her role to chief product and regulatory officer. Release