Nereid Therapeutics, a US-based biotechnology company, announced on Monday that it has named Michael Kauffman, MD, PhD as its new president and chief executive officer.

Dr Kauffman is also joining the Nereid board of directors. He has three decades of experience and has headed organisations through the discovery, development, and commercialisation of novel drugs. He has spent over a decade as CEO and co-founder of Karyopharm and clinical consultant for the Kyprolis approval at Onyx Pharmaceuticals (subsequently acquired by Amgen). He has also worked as a board member and then CMO of Proteolix, operating partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, and CEO of Epix Pharmaceuticals and Predix Pharmaceuticals. He has served in leadership positions at Millennium Pharmaceuticals and Biogen. Presently, he chairs the boards of BiVictriX Therapeutics and Incendia Therapeutics and serves on the boards of Verastem Oncology, Kezar Life Sciences and Adicet Bio.

Dr Kauffman said: "This is a transformational time to join Nereid as we enter a new phase of development and advance multiple programs in oncology and neurodegeneration towards the clinic. I look forward to working alongside this highly talented team who are pioneers in the novel, exciting and highly physiologically relevant field of biomolecular condensate science, which is the core of Nereid's approach to drug discovery and development."