Elasomeran

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, Marissa Russo or Donavyn Coffey, and it will be featured here at the end of each week. Bayer appoints internal candidate to CMO role Seven months after Mike Devoy left Bayer, the German pharmaceutical giant has appointed Christoph Koenen , M.D., as its new chief medical officer. Koenen—who has been at the drugmaker since 2022 following stints at Bristol Myers Squibb, Novo, Boehringer and GSK—will take up his new role in addition to his current responsibilities as head of clinical development and operations of the pharmaceuticals division. Bayer's C-suite has been shaken up in recent years, with previous CMO Devoy bumped from the leadership team back in 2024. “Christoph Koenen brings deep experience as a physician, former chief medical officer, and global R&D leader,” Stefan Oelrich, president of the company’s pharmaceuticals division, said in an Oct. 1 release . “His leadership will help further integrate clinical development and medical activities as we advance our strategic focus in R&D on delivering transformative medicines to patients faster.” Cantor steps into PhRMA’s house as CEO Following news of a planned CEO departure for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the United States’ top drug industry lobbying group has tapped a new leader well versed in navigating disagreements and reaching consensus with those in power. Eric Cantor , who represented Virginia in the U.S. House of Representatives for 14 years and served as House majority leader from 2011 to 2014, will step up as PhRMA’s next president and CEO on Nov. 9. Cantor is taking over after Steve Ubl ’s 10-year run ends at an undeniably turbulent time for the pharmaceutical industry. Story Moderna veteran rejoins for second act After three years in retirement, Moderna alum Juan Andres is set to rejoin the company as its first chief operating officer, effective Oct. 5. At the same time, Moderna’s Chief Technical Operations and Quality Officer Jerh Collins , Ph.D., is retiring. Andres' reinstallation comes as Moderna prepares for the potential launch of intismeran autogene, a Merck-partnered mRNA cancer vaccine that generated widespread attention earlier this year after positive phase 3 results. The COO role will also support the company’s expanded infectious disease franchise. During his first tenure at Moderna, Andres played a critical role in the company’s rapid expansion to support production of its COVID-19 vaccine. He served as the drugmaker’s chief technical operations and quality officer from 2018 to 2022 and as president of strategic partnerships and enterprise expansion before retiring in 2023. “As we enter the next chapter of Moderna, Juan's experience leading complex global operations will be invaluable. He knows Moderna deeply and was an extraordinary partner to me as we built and scaled the company,” said Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel. Release Novartis says farewell to oncology cell and gene therapy head After a 22-year stint, the Basel Big Pharma says goodbye to its head of cancer cell and gene therapies, Jennifer Brogdon , Ph.D. At the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Brogdon was a crucial piece in advancing Novartis’ CAR T-cell therapy program. During her time at Novartis, the Swiss pharma secured the first ever approval for a CAR-T, the blood cancer therapy, Kymriah. The drugmaker’s current cell therapy pipeline features rapcabtagene autoleucel, a CD19 CAR T in phase 2 studies for B-cell lymphoma, and a DLL3 CAR-T in phase 1 studies for solid tumors like small cell lung cancer. Brogdon has spent nearly her entire career working her way up at Novartis, following a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University. LinkedIn > London-based Lift Therapeutics is rising toward the clinic with the help of IO Biotech veteran Eva Ehrnrooth , M.D., Ph.D., as executive head of clinical development. Release > Precision oncology outfit Ideaya Biosciences has promoted Chief Scientific Officer Michael White , Ph.D., to president of research and development. Release > Xilio Therapeutics has a new chief medical officer in Yariv Houvras , M.D., Ph.D., who recently led clinical development at German biotech Tubulis before its acquisition by Gilead. Release > Chris Hassig , Ph.D., has a new calling as chief scientific officer at ADC specialist Callio Therapeutics. Release > Macrocycle company Circle Pharma has rounded up some new leaders, with Marie Evangelista , Ph.D., promoted to chief scientific officer and Mary Ellen Sillivos coming aboard as senior vice president and head of human resources. Release > Gossamer Bio vet Aaron Hasnain has pivoted to Avenzo Therapeutics, where he’ll serve as senior vice president of business development alongside fellow new SVP Annie Chang , who will head up investor relations and corporate communications. Release > Québécois biologics manufacturer Biodextris is saying bonjour to new CEO Clement Fourny . Release > Neurocrine Biosciences’ strategic advisor and veteran CMO, Eiry Roberts , M.D., will resume the CMO position immediately as Sanjay Keswani , M.D. departs the company. Release > Dutch biotech Pharming is undergoing a leadership transition. Current CEO Fabrice Chouraqui agreed to step down immediately. In the interim, Pharming’s COO and CFO, Laverne Marsh and Kenneth Lynard , will serve as co-CEOs, with Marsh leading patient-focused operations and Lynard heading up global corporate matters. Release > Kevin Harvey , Ph.D., will be the next president and CEO of the nonprofit Institute for Protein Innovation. Harvey joins from Aviva Systems Biology and brings more than 20 years of experience in protein and antibody research. Release > Active pharmaceutical ingredient titan TAPI (Technology & API Services) announced that Serge Rogasik will lead the company through its next phase of growth as CEO. Rogasik has spent his career scaling specialty ingredient businesses, most recently serving as president and CEO of Kensing, a specialty ingredient company owned by Capital Rock Partners. Release > Bay Area integrin-focused biotech Pliant Therapeutics announced the appointment of Genentech and Amgen alum David Raben , M.D., as chief medical officer. Release > AstraZeneca and BMS’ Celgene veteran Rajesh Chopra , M.D., Ph.D., is joining Swiss biotech Numab Therapeutics as chief scientific officer as it advances its leading trispecific antibody for inflammatory bowel disease. Release > Iovance Biotherapeutics, focused on developing tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapies for cancer, has named Noah Berkowitz , M.D., Ph.D., its new chief medical officer. Release > InflaRx grabbed BMS and AbbVie alum Gabriela Alperovich , M.D., Ph.D., as its newest senior vice president and global head of clinical development. Release > After more than a decade as Kallyope, the NYC-based migraine-focused biotech is rebranding to TriGemX Bio and tapping Jeff Goater as its new CEO. Release

iStock, kai813 Time has run out on BioNTech’s bid to locate buyers for sites in Idar-Oberstein, Marburg and Tübingen. Including staff at a Singapore plant also slated for closure, the move could impact 1,860 jobs. BioNTech is preparing to close three manufacturing sites in Germany after failing to find buyers for the facilities. The German biotech unveiled plans to close the plants in May. At that time, BioNTech planned to exit the facilities in the German towns of Idar-Oberstein, Marburg and Tübingen by the end of 2027 but remained open to deals to save the sites. Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel reportedly expressed an interest in buying the plants. Having set an end-of-September deadline for striking a deal, BioNTech this week has ended its efforts to find buyers for the production sites. Despite “the intensive efforts of all parties involved and a broad-based sales process,” BioNTech was unable to secure a deal, a company spokesperson told BioSpace via email on Wednesday. BioNTech began looking for buyers after forecasting that the plants would become idle or underused within two years. The Marburg site can make enough mRNA for up to 3 billion vaccine doses a year, according to BioNTech. However, the company decided it no longer needs the capacity now that COVID-19 vaccine sales have fallen and Pfizer is taking full responsibility for making Comirnaty starting in 2027. The big biotech employs about 450 people at the Marburg production plant, plus another 500 individuals at its facility in Idar-Oberstein. The Idar-Oberstein site makes cell therapy products and clinical bulk mRNA. Meanwhile, BioNTech acquired the Tübingen plant last year through its $1.25 billion, all-stock takeover of CureVac, a rival German mRNA specialist. Factoring in employees at a Singapore site slated for closure, the wave of facility exits could affect about 1,860 jobs, BioNTech said in May. “Together with the Group Works Council, socially responsible solutions and enhanced severance arrangements have been agreed that recognize the particular challenges associated with a site closure and are intended to provide employees with the best possible support during this situation,” the spokesperson said. Manufacturing Moderna mulls deals to rescue German BioNTech plants from closure: report The takeovers depend on Moderna reaching an agreement with the German government, which risks losing investment from drugmakers over planned healthcare reforms. June 18, 2026 · 2 min read · Nick Paul Taylor Read more The company began to incur costs linked to the exits while still seeking deals to save the sites. In August, BioNTech CFO Ramón Zapata reported employee-related expenses and impairment charges reflecting “progression from announcing [the site consolidation] to actively executing it.” In the second quarter, BioNTech incurred employee-related restructuring costs of €97.6 million ($110.7 million)—most of which stemmed from the Marburg and Idar-Oberstein sites—and impairment losses on property, plant and equipment of €96.1 million ($109.0 million). Last month, BioNTech disclosed a deal for JPT Peptide Technologies, which the biotech had initially planned on divesting as part of its manufacturing consolidation effort. Instead, a fund advised by DUBAG Group agreed to buy the contract manufacturer that specializes in peptide-based products and services. Located in Germany, closing JPT would have affected up to 140 jobs.