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.
Lily unifies markets as 36-year vet retires
Eli Lilly
Long-time Lilly leader Patrik Jonsson is retiring after 36 years at the Indianapolis-based pharma. Jonsson currently serves as executive vice president and president of Lilly International, Eli Lilly’s non-U.S. commercial division.
At Jonsson’s exit, Lilly said it will consolidate its U.S. and international units into a single department called Lily Global Markets. The drugmaker tapped current lead of Lilly USA, Ilya Yuffa, as the new unit's first president.
Yuffa has 30 years under his belt at Lilly and before leading Lilly USA, he was president of Lilly International.
"Ilya has run both our international and U.S. businesses, and his range of experience and commitment to excellence make him uniquely qualified to lead our customer-facing operations worldwide," Eli Lily CEO David Ricks said.
Jonsson’s retirement and the start of Lily Global Markets under Yuffa will go into effect January 1, 2027. Story
Enanta chief to retire in the new year
Enanta Pharmaceuticals
Viral and immunology small molecule developer Enanta Pharmaceuticals announced that CEO Jay Luly, Ph.D. will retire by Feb. 1, 2027, after 23 years at the helm. Luly will remain a strategic advisor through the end of 2027 to aid the transition while the search for his successor gets underway.
“I am enormously proud of what we have built together and of the talented team that has brought Enanta to this important stage in its development,” Luly said in the release. “The Company is well positioned for its next chapter, and I look forward to supporting a successful transition.”
The Massachusetts-based biotech has also promoted Vertex vet Tara Kieffer, Ph.D., to the newly created role of chief operating officer. Release
Estrella puts Pussinen at the helm
Estrella Immunopharma
Cynthia Pussinen is now CEO and chairperson of the board of directors for Estrella Immunopharma. The company’s founding CEO, Cheng Liu, Ph.D., will transition to chief scientific officer and maintain his role as company president and board member.
The leadership swap comes just as Estrella is advancing its Artemis T-cell therapy platform and lead clinical asset, EB103, through a phase 1/2 clinical trial in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Pussinen brings to this pivotal moment her experiencing leading the development, regulatory approval and commercialization of 15 different medical therapies.
Prior to Estrella, Pussinen was managing director of biotech investments at Sorbie Bornholm and before that CEO of Sernova.
“Cynthia brings a rare combination of public-company leadership, hands-on experience in cell and gene therapy development and manufacturing, and a strong track record of building strategic and financial partnerships. As Estrella enters its next phase of clinical development, the Board and I are confident that she is the right leader to build on the progress we have made with EB103 and the Artemis platform,” Liu said in a statement. Release
> Copenhagen-based Orbis Medicines appointed Joanne Smith-Farrell, Ph.D., as new as its new CEO as the company advances its pipeline and builds on a $1.4 billion collaboration with Novo in multi-target cardiometabolic disease. Release
> Infectious disease biotech EIT Pharma added FDA vet Joseph Toerner, M.D., as chief medical officer to support the ongoing regulatory review of lonafarnib, its late-stage investigational oral therapy for chronic hepatitis D. Release
> Brixton Biosciences bolstered its C-suite with the additions of David Acheson as chief commercial officer and Brian Newkirk as chief business officer as the biotech prepares for potential commercialization of its lead nerve therapy product for pain associated with knee osteoarthritis. Release
> RAS cancer targeting biotech Cardiff Oncology plucked Leila Alland, M.D., as its interim chief medical officer as a phase 2 colorectal cancer continues to play out. Release
> Tarsus Pharmaceuticals made it official, naming interim chief commercial officer Neera Clase to the position permanently, where she will help expand the market for its FDA approved Xdemvy in demodex blepharitis. Release
> Newly renamed Azora Therapeutics revamped its C-suite. Matt Davidson, Ph.D. was named CEO. Julie Saiki, Ph.D was made chief strategy officer. Celia Economides is the new CFO. David Rubenstein, M.D., Ph.D., will serve as chief scientist, and Ajay Duggal is consulting chief medical officer. Release
> Vision-focused gene therapy developer Opus Genetics named Andrew Murphy, Ph.D., its new chief scientific officer. Release
> Paul Audhya, M.D., will serve as chief medical officer of respiratory pharma Celea Therapeutics and oversea Celea’s ongoing phase 3 in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Release