Welcome to this week's Chutes & Ladders, our roundup of hirings, firings and retirings throughout the industry. Please send the good word—or the bad—from your shop to Max Bayer or Gabrielle Masson, and we will feature it here at the end of each week.
Biogen's neurodegeneration lead heads out
Biogen
Samantha Budd Haeberlein, one of the key leaders behind development of Biogen’s Alzheimer’s disease med Aduhelm, is leaving after eight years. She served as head of the Neurodegeneration Development Unit, which lists Aduhelm as its most famous—or infamous—products.
Budd Haeberlein leaves months after Biogen snagged a critical accelerated approval for follow-up Alzheimer’s treatment Leqembi, which has represented a do-over for the company. Partner Eisai is in the driver’s seat this time around, however. With Aduhelm, Budd Haeberlein represented Biogen at the FDA advisory committee meetings which ultimately voted against recommending approval for the monoclonal antibody.
Stat reported that the departure was voluntary but at the request of new CEO Christopher Viehbacher. Biogen wished her well in a short statement.
CEO temporarily adds CFO duties at EQRx
EQRx
EQRx’s CEO Melanie Nallicheri is adding the role of CFO to her duties as Jami Rubin steps down. Rubin’s departure is effective March 31 and “is not related to a disagreement with EQRx on any matter relating to EQRx’s operations, policies or practices,” the company said in a March 8 disclosure.
Rubin joined the low price focused biotech in April 2023 after 25 years as an equity analyst focused on large-cap and specialty pharmas. She previously served as partner at Goldman Sachs, leading the healthcare business unit.
Nallicheri has headed the oncology- and immunology-focused company as president and CEO since September 2021. The board appointed her principal financial officer effective immediately while a search for Rubin’s replacement is conducted. Disclosure
ARPA-H staffs up on first birthday
ARPA-H
President Joe Biden’s medical breakthroughs agency Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) is celebrating its first birthday with a pair of new hires. Paul Sheehan, Ph.D., and Ross Uhrich have been selected as the first project managers to shop around for interesting science to fund.
Sheehan was most recently a program manager at the Biological Technologies Office at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. He previously was a research scientist and head of surface nanoscience and sensor technology at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. His research focused on using synthetic biology to detect and address threats to human health.
Uhrich joins the agency after serving as a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon and assistant professor of surgery at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He served 12 years in the U.S. Navy.
The program managers will be supported by additional new hires Jennifer Roberts, Ph.D., director of Resilient Systems, and Amy Jenkins, Ph.D., director of Health Science Futures. Release
> CRISPR Therapeutics Chief Financial Officer Brendan Smith has left his position at the company to pursue other opportunities. The gene medicine company has already found a replacement, though, appointing Raju Prasad, Ph.D., for the role. Prasad joins CRISPR from William Blair & Company, where he served as a partner and senior equity research analyst for cell therapy, gene therapy and gene editing companies. Release
> As Philips prepares to enter the third year of its recall of 5.5 million respiratory devices, the Dutch company has appointed Julia Strandberg to lead its beleaguered connected care division. Strandberg will step into the role as chief business leader of the connected care units April 24, filling the vacancy left by Roy Jakobs, who was appointed CEO of Philips last fall. He was replaced in the interim by Dan Leonard, global head of finance within the connected care segment. New leader Strandberg has more than two decades of experience in the industry and joins from Pear Therapeutics, where she spent nearly four years as chief commercial officer. Fierce Medtech
> Oncology biotech Ratio Therapeutics is bringing on Noel Monks, Ph.D., to serve as the company’s head of biology. Before Ratio, Monks held roles at NeuBase Therapeutics, AstraZeneca’s Medimmune and AstraZeneca. Release
> Women’s health company ObsEva has tapped Fabien de Ladonchamps to fill its head role, which has been held in a two-month interim by Chief Financial Officer Will Brown. De Ladonchamps has over 25 years of industry experience, particularly among Swiss biotechs, and will take the lead as the company consolidates operations in Sweden. The incoming CEO, who will step into the role May 1, has nearly a decade of experience with ObsEva specifically, previously serving as the company’s chief administrative officer and interim CFO. Additionally, Ernest Loumaye, M.D., Ph.D., co-founder and member of ObsEva’s board of directors has been appointed interim chair on the heels of Annette Clancy’s resignation. Release
> Susan Catalano, Ph.D., has departed Coda Biotherapeutics for Capsida Biotherapeutics, where she will serve as chief scientific officer. Before Coda, where she also was CSO, Catalano co-founded Cognition Therapeutics and served as CSO. She’s also held scientific leadership positions at Acumen Pharmaceuticals, Rigel Pharmaceuticals and Roche Palo Alto. Release
> IEcure has tapped Gabriel Cohn, M.D., to be its new chief medical officer, guiding the company's in vivo gene editing therapies through the clinic. Cohn was most recently chief medical officer at Homology Medicines. Release