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.
Editor's note: This is the last edition of Chutes & Ladders in 2024. Starting next week, the Fierce Biotech team will be taking a break for the holidays. Chutes will be back Jan. 3. See you in 2025!
FDA’s principal deputy to depart agency
Food and Drug Administration
After less than a year on the job, the FDA’s principal deputy commissioner, Namandjé Bumpus, Ph.D., is leaving her post at the end of the year, according to an internal agency email reviewed by Fierce Biotech. Bumpus told Commissioner Robert Califf, M.D., that she was stepping down from her role earlier this month, according to the email. Bumpus first joined the agency as chief scientist in 2022 after serving as director of the Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She was promoted to principal deputy commissioner in February of this year.
Bruce Cozadd’s Jazz coda
Jazz Pharmaceuticals
It’s the end of an era at Jazz Pharmaceuticals as the drugmaker’s co-founder and CEO, Bruce Cozadd, eyes his exit after nearly 22 years with the company—some 15 of which were spent at the helm. Cozadd plans to retire from his current role once Jazz appoints a successor, which the company says it aims to accomplish by the end of 2025. The search for a new leader, either from within the company or outside, is underway, and Cozadd will remain as Jazz’s board chair once the CEO switch occurs. Story
Neutrolis pulls experienced execs for leadership team
Neutrolis
Neutrolis bolstered its senior leadership team with several new appointments as it works toward its mission to deliver therapies targeting neutrophil extracellular traps through its exDNASE platform. Michael Fleming, whose career spans roles at GSK, Genentech, Elan and several other drugmakers, hopped on board as chief business and strategy officer. Andreas Reiff, M.D., joined as chief medical officer from his previous position as head of immunology and inflammation at Parexel, while Big Pharma vet Ralph Lambalot, Ph.D., will oversee Neutrolis’ proprietary exDNASE platform as chief technology officer. Release
> AbbVie’s senior VP and controller Kevin Buckbee is stepping down in March 2025, when the company’s current VP and controller, commercial operations David Purdue will take over the job. Filing
> Following a series B fundraising round, NeoPhore selected a CEO in Kite Pharma’s former VP of corporate development Michael Shih. Release
> VectorY Therapeutics' CEO Sander van Deventer, M.D., Ph.D., will step down into the president of R&D role, leaving new hire Jim Scibetta to take over as the company’s new chief. Release
> Caroline (Holda) Hensley is joining the executive team at immuno-oncology drugmaker Xilio Therapeutics as chief legal officer. Release
> Theolytics tapped veteran industry executive David Apelian, M.D., Ph.D., as CEO as the company begins its first clinical trial of its lead candidate in ovarian cancer. Release
> Marc Damelin, Ph.D., is pivoting from his longtime role at Mersana Therapeutics to the chief scientific officer spot at Alphina Therapeutics. Release
> Shinobi strengthened its cell therapy expertise with the appointments of its first chief scientific officer Luis Borges, Ph.D., and its first chief medical officer Steven Katz, M.D. Release
> Anaveon chose a successor for its outgoing chief medical officer Eduard Gasal, M.D., in Richard Sachse, M.D., Ph.D., who joins from SOTIO Biotech. Release
> RNA medicines company Borealis Biosciences has extended its series A by $30 million and tapped former Sana Biotechnology CBO Christian Hordo as its new CEO. Release
> Terry Bromley, who spent 16 years at a business unit of Bristol Myers Squibb, is the new CEO of medical device company Imbed Biosciences. Release
> After 52 years at the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Robert Temple, M.D., is retiring from his posts as senior adviser for clinical science and senior adviser at the Office of New Drugs at the end of year, according to an internal agency email reviewed by Fierce Biotech.
> Cardiometabolic-disease-focused Marea Therapeutics is beefing up its leadership with Rebecca Juliano, Ph.D., as the new chief development officer and Max Zeiberg as senior vice president, corporate development. Release