Electra Therapeutics Appoints New Chief Scientific and Medical Officers

Electra Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company based in South San Francisco, has recently expanded its leadership team by appointing Graham Parry, PhD, as Chief Scientific Officer and Kim-Hien Dao, DO, PhD, as Chief Medical Officer. Both new executives bring extensive experience in drug development, having led various drug candidates through clinical trials and towards regulatory approval.

Kathy Dong, PharmD, MBA, President and CEO of Electra Therapeutics, expressed enthusiasm for the new appointments, stating, “We are delighted to have such exceptional leaders as Graham and Kim-Hien join our management team at a time of great momentum for the company, with clinical proof-of-concept established for our lead candidate, ELA026.” Dong emphasized the significance of Dr. Parry’s scientific leadership in harnessing the potential of ELA026, and Dr. Dao’s clinical expertise in advancing ELA026 as a pioneering antibody therapy for patients with secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH), a severe inflammatory disease with significant unmet needs and no approved treatment.

Dr. Parry expressed his excitement about Electra’s innovative approach, remarking, “I am enthusiastic about Electra’s approach to combining rigorous research and novel biology to deliver new therapies to under-served patient populations. The opportunity to work alongside this outstanding team with such a clear and focused mission is truly a privilege.”

Dr. Graham Parry brings over two decades of experience in the development of therapies for rare and life-threatening diseases. Before joining Electra, he was the Executive Vice President of Translational Sciences at Star Therapeutics, where he contributed to advancing treatments for multiple diseases. He also held leadership roles at Third Harmonic Bio, True North Therapeutics, iPierian, and Attenuon. His work at True North Therapeutics involved the discovery and development of ENJAYMO®, a first-in-class inhibitor approved for cold agglutinin disease. Dr. Parry began his career in academia as an assistant professor at The Scripps Research Institute and holds a BSc from Brunel University and a PhD from the University of London.

Dr. Dao also shared her enthusiasm, stating, "I am delighted to take on this role during such an exciting time at Electra as the company advances ELA026 as a promising new therapy for patients with sHLH who currently lack effective treatment options. I look forward to the work ahead to build on the encouraging data to date for ELA026 in sHLH as well as in additional indications, and to contribute to the company’s continued progress.”

Dr. Kim-Hien Dao is a clinician scientist with over 15 years of experience in clinical and translational research. She joined Electra in April 2023 as Vice President, Head of Clinical Development. Before her current role, she was the Executive Medical Director at Astex Pharmaceuticals, where she worked on drug programs for both solid tumors and hematological malignancies. Her previous experience includes an 11-year tenure at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), where she specialized in myelodysplastic syndromes, myeloproliferative neoplasms, bone marrow failure syndromes, bone marrow transplant, and clonal hematopoiesis. At OHSU, she also led a research laboratory funded by the National Institutes of Health and the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute. Dr. Dao received her DO and PhD from Michigan State University and trained in Hematology-Medical Oncology at the University of California at San Diego. She continues to practice as a hematologist-oncologist in a volunteer capacity.

Electra Therapeutics is focused on developing antibody therapies targeting novel sites for a wide array of immunological diseases and cancers. Their lead product candidate, ELA026, is a monoclonal antibody in clinical development for sHLH, aiming to provide a solution for this rare, life-threatening hyperinflammatory condition, among other disease indications.