Changing Faces: Boards of Directors and Advisory Boards – April 2026
Boardrooms and advisory panels across biotech, pharma, digital health, and life sciences suppliers saw a wave of high‑profile additions this month, as companies brought in senior executives, scientific leaders, and seasoned operators to guide strategy, governance, and long‑term growth.
From AI and oncology to cell and gene therapy and immunology, the latest appointments reflect a continued emphasis on experience at scale.
Anthropic adds pharma leadership to its Board. AI company Anthropic appointed Vas Narasimhan to its Board of Directors. As we reported, the Novartis CEO was appointed by the company’s Long‑Term Benefit Trust, an independent body with no financial stake in the business, and was tasked with helping strike a balance between ethical considerations and financial success. Anthropic is one of the leading AI companies and recently launched a product for life sciences, alongside the acquisition of AI drug discovery start-up Coefficient Bio.
eXmoor appoints former Catalent chief as Chair. Cell and gene therapy CDMO eXmoor appointed George Fotiades as Chair. Fotiades previously served as Chair and CEO at Catalent and brings extensive leadership experience in contract development and manufacturing to the role. eXmoor is an integrated cell and gene therapy CDMO with more than 20 years of consultancy expertise embedded across every stage of development.
CatalYm names seasoned biotech executive as Board Chair. German biotech CatalYm appointed Christian S Schade as Chair of its Board of Directors. Most recently, Schade served as president and CEO of Halda Therapeutics until its acquisition by Johnson & Johnson. Earlier in his career, he led Aprea Therapeutics through its IPO and held senior executive roles at Novira, Omthera Pharmaceuticals, and Medarex. CatalYm is developing a novel antibody therapy targeting solid tumours and cachexia.
Moderna co-founder takes on two advising gigs. Moderna cofounder Dr Robert Langer took on two new roles in April, as a strategic advisor at OS Therapies and on the Scientific Advisory Board at Helus Pharma. The co-founder of more than 40 ventures, Dr Langer is widely regarded as a luminary in biotechnology, having developed foundational technologies used throughout drug discovery and development. OS Therapies is a clinical‑stage oncology company focused on developing treatments for osteosarcoma and other solid tumours, while Helus is a clinical‑stage pharmaceutical company developing proprietary novel serotonergic agonists for neurological health.
Helus Pharma also expanded its Scientific Advisory Board with the appointment of Dr Steve Brannan. Brannan previously served as chief medical officer at Karuna Pharmaceuticals, where he oversaw clinical development of therapies for serious psychiatric disorders, and earlier led neuroscience clinical development programmes at Takeda Pharmaceuticals.
CuraCell expands Board with clinical and academic expertise. Swedish immunotherapy company CuraCell made two appointments to its Board of Directors. Dr Thomas Jaecklin joined the Board following his tenure as chief medical officer at NodThera, where he helped shape clinical strategy and financing narratives for programmes spanning cardiovascular risk reduction, obesity, and Parkinson’s disease. CuraCell also appointed Martin Forster, a Professor of Cancer Medicine at University College London and a consultant medical oncologist at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Forster specialises in thoracic and head and neck cancers and has a strong focus on drug development. CuraCell is pioneering immunotherapies for cold solid tumours with high unmet need.
Aravax adds two new executives to Board. Clinical‑stage biotech Aravax, which is focused on next‑generation, disease‑modifying immunotherapies for food allergies, appointed Carsten Hellman and Andrew Oxtoby to its Board of Directors. Hellman previously served for nearly a decade as president and CEO of ALK‑Abelló A/S, a global leader in allergy diagnosis and specific allergen immunotherapy, while Oxtoby previously served as chief commercial officer at Aimmune.
Incyclix Bio strengthens governance following financing. Incyclix Bio expanded its Board and Observer roles following a recent $5 million financing. Kseniya Simpson, partner at Hatteras Venture Partners, joined the company’s Board of Directors, while Christy Shaffer, general partner at Hatteras Venture Partners, joined as a Board Observer. Incyclix is a North Carolina‑based biotech advancing precision treatments for cancer through cell cycle control.
Xilio Therapeutics appoints experienced commercial leader to Board. Xilio Therapeutics appointed Cheryl R. Blanchard to its Board of Directors. Blanchard currently serves as Executive Chair of the Board at Anika Therapeutics where she previously held the roles of president and CEO, leading a high‑growth commercial strategy and advancing multiple programmes through US clinical and regulatory pathways. Xilio is developing masked immuno‑oncology therapies designed to improve efficacy while limiting systemic side effects.
Seaport Therapeutics adds former Intra‑Cellular CEO to Board. PureTech spinout Seaport Therapeutics appointed Dr Sharon Mates to its Board of Directors. Mates previously served as co-founder, Chair and CEO of Intra‑Cellular Therapies from its inception in 2002 until its acquisition by Johnson & Johnson in 2025 for approximately $14.6 billion. Her career spans decades in neuropsychiatry and includes guiding a company from founding through commercialisation and a major strategic transaction.
PeptiSystems appoints industry veteran with investor perspective. PeptiSystems appointed Ole J. Dahlberg to its Board of Directors. Dahlberg has held senior leadership roles at Life Technologies, Qiagen, and Thermo Fisher Scientific, where he most recently served as vice president and general manager. As managing partner at Rubicon Healthcare Partners, a major shareholder in PeptiSystems, he brings both operational experience and an investor perspective to the Board. PeptiSystems develops new instruments for peptide and oligonucleotide synthesis.
Laigo Bio builds Scientific Advisory Board. Early‑stage biotech Laigo Bio made three appointments to its Scientific Advisory Board. Janine Schuurman joined after playing a pivotal role in shaping Genmab’s antibody innovation engine, most recently as SVP of antibody research and Technologies. Laigo also appointed Dr Hans Clevers, an internationally renowned molecular geneticist and stem cell researcher whose pioneering work characterised the molecular effectors of the Wnt pathway, and David Sansom, an immunologist internationally recognised for contributions to human T-cell biology, immune regulation, and checkpoint pathways.
VALANX Biotech appoints experts in ADC development. Vienna‑based VALANX Biotech strengthened its Scientific Advisory Board with three appointments.
- John Lambert joined as Chair of the Board, bringing deep expertise in antibody–drug conjugate discovery and development, including ADC biology, payload and linker technologies, and translational oncology strategies.
- VALANX also appointed Morris Rosenberg, who previously held roles at Biogen and Eli Lilly before joining Seattle Genetics as EVP of process sciences, where he built the clinical and commercial supply chain for antibodies and ADCs.
- Finally, the firm tapped Peter de Waele, a recognised expert in immuno‑oncology and advanced therapeutics with a strong track record in translating innovative science into early clinical programmes.
Paratus Sciences adds senior medical advisor. Paratus Sciences appointed Dr Richard Polisson as senior medical advisor. Prior to joining the company, Polisson held senior leadership roles at Sanofi‑Genzyme, including SVP and head of translational medicine at the Sanofi‑Genzyme Research and Development Center, overseeing early development programmes across genetic disease, immune‑mediated disease, neurological disorders, and fibrosis.
That’s it for our Board and Advisory hires. We’ll be back with May updates soon, and you can send your own hires to editorial@pharmaphorum.com for inclusion in this column.
