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 Kyle LaHucik, and we will feature it here at the end of each week.
Before leaving the pharma giant, J&J CEO Alex Gorsky snags seat on Apple's board
Johnson & Johnson
Alex Gorsky, before even hitting the exit at J&J, has been elected to Apple's board of directors.
One of the largest companies in the world by market cap, Apple snags the outgoing Big Pharma CEO as the California behemoth looks to beef up its work in healthcare. Gorsky departs J&J in the coming months after nearly a decade in the top role and will soon set his sights on offering medtech and pharma expertise to the software and hardware giant. Fierce MedTech
After leading Zulresso across the FDA finish line, Stephen Kanes now helms Aditum portfolio bio Ancora
Ancora Bio
Stephen Kanes, M.D., Ph.D., is now CEO of Ancora Bio.
Kanes joins the Aditum portfolio startup from Sage Therapeutics, where he was chief medical officer. While there, Kanes oversaw the final stages of getting Zulresso through to FDA approval. The drug became the first approved treatment for postpartum depression in March 2019. Kanes now takes the top role at the biotech attempting to revive Taisho's once-failed depression drug. Fierce Biotech
Marengo Therapeutics poaches Zhen Su, M.D., leader of Merck KGaA's oncology playbook
Marengo Therapeutics
Zhen Su, M.D., is now CEO of Marengo Therapeutics.
Marengo emerged with $80 million in financing and the leadership of Su this week. The former global oncology leader for Merck KGaA also held a stint as chief medical officer of the pharma's EMD Serono unit. He's overseen FDA approvals like Bavencio, given the green light for renal cell carcinoma in combination with Inlyta, as well as the nod for Mavenclad for relapsing multiple sclerosis. Fierce Biotech
> Former Gossamer Bio early R&D leader Miguel Sanjuan, Ph.D., is the new SVP of research and early development at immune disease biotech Provention Bio. Fierce Biotech
> Founding Alnylam CEO John Maraganore, Ph.D., was named to the board of Beam Therapeutics shortly after he announced he'd soon be stepping down as Alnylam CEO. Release
> Jaya Goyal, Ph.D., was named EVP of research and preclinical development at PepGen after serving as SVP of preclinical and clinical sciences at Wave Life Sciences. Release
> Exact Sciences recruited Everett Cunningham as its first chief commercial officer. Cunningham was previously president and CEO of GE Healthcare U.S. and Canada. Internal company announcement
> BridGene Biosciences named Wolf Ruprecht Wiedemeyer its biology director after holding a principal scientist post at AbbVie's oncology discovery unit. Release
> Relief Therapeutics Chief Commercial Officer Chris Stijnen is leaving the biotech effective Nov. 30 to "pursue other opportunities." Relief Europe President Paolo Galfetti will assume Stijnen's EU and U.K. commercial operations. The company named Anthony Kim its SVP and head of U.S. commercial operations. Release
> Charles Triano is the new chief financial officer of Xalud Therapeutics after serving as SVP of investor relations at Pfizer since 2008. Release
> Lava Therapeutics made a slate of hires, including Jessica Truscello as VP of clinical operations, Sumeet Ambarkhane, M.D., as executive medical director and Wouter van Hunnik as VP of human resources. Release
> Neil Josephson, M.D., will become permanent chief medical officer at Zymeworks on Monday after serving in the role on an interim basis since May. Release
> Novadiscovery named Emmanuel Pham as VP of science and customer experience for Europe. Pham was previously VP of biometry at Ipsen.
> Pamela Foulds, M.D., is the new chief medical officer of Freeline Therapeutics after holding that post at Auregen BioTherapeutics and Aegerion Pharmaceuticals. Release
> Kelly Creighton, Ph.D., is the new EVP of chemistry, manufacturing and controls at Citius Pharmaceuticals after serving in the VP of regulatory and strategic development role at Clinipace Worldwide. Release
> Ring Therapeutics added three executives to its bench: Yong Chang, Ph.D., as chief scientific officer, John Huynh, Ph.D., as SVP of technical operations and Kevin Johnson, Ph.D., as chief regulatory officer. Chang joins from KorroBio, Huynh comes from PTC Therapeutics and Johnson was previously at Inozyme Pharma. Release
> Donald Marvin is taking on three titles at Chemomab Therapeutics: CFO, COO and EVP. Marvin was previously EVP and CFO at Lodo Therapeutics. Release
> GT Biopharma went through a leadership shuffle as CEO Anthony Cataldo and CFO Michael Handelman leave the company for "other interests." Chief Medical Officer Gregory Berk, M.D., was named interim CEO and Chief Clinical Development Officer Gavin Choy was named acting CFO. The board started a search for a permanent CEO and CFO. Release
> Doloromics named Chris Flores, Ph.D., its president and chief R&D officer after a 19-year career at Johnson & Johnson, where he held various VP and head positions. Release
> Alpha Teknova named Ken Gelhaus its chief commercial officer and Jennifer Henry its new SVP of marketing. Gelhaus was previously VP at BD Biosciences, and Henry was senior director of global brand at eBay. Release