Sensorion names CMO; Orano Med adds CSO; CRISPR Therapeutics changes CFO
Every Friday, The Leadership Edit follows people taking new roles across European biotech and what their moves may tell us about the companies they join. This week: a hearing-loss specialist adds clinical leadership, a radiopharmaceutical developer strengthens drug discovery and a gene-editing company changes finance chief.
Sensorion: Peter Weber joins as CMO. Weber will take up the role on November 2 as the French biotech prepares clinical development of SENS-601, its gene therapy for hearing loss caused by GJB2 mutations. He previously helped guide inner-ear gene therapy programs at Decibel Therapeutics and Regeneron. The appointment follows Sensorion’s recent CFO hire and its confidential filing for a potential US listing.
Orano Med: Matthew Fyfe adds scientific leadership. The French developer announced Fyfe as chief scientific officer on October 19. Formerly CSO of Outrun Therapeutics, he will lead research across Orano Med’s sites in France and the U.S. His focus is expanding the company’s pipeline of lead-212 cancer therapies as it builds manufacturing capacity on both sides of the Atlantic.
CRISPR Therapeutics: A.J. Silver succeeds Raju Prasad as CFO. Prasad stepped down on October 19 to pursue other opportunities, and Silver took over the same day. Silver joined the Swiss-headquartered biotech in 2018 and has been senior vice president of finance since 2025. He assumes the role as CRISPR Therapeutics and Vertex expand access to their one-time, CRISPR/Cas9-based gene therapy Casgevy and the company advances several gene-editing programs in clinical trials. The company reported $2.36 billion in cash and marketable securities at the end of June.
Neovii: Salvatore Alesci takes charge of clinical development. Alesci became chief medical officer on October 15 as the Swiss company prepares a company-sponsored Phase 2 study of its antibody treatment ATLG in type 1 diabetes. The planned trial builds on an ongoing investigator-led European study. ATLG is marketed for transplantation-related uses in several countries, but remains investigational in diabetes.
Repairon: Detlef Schumann becomes COO. The Göttingen biotech named Schumann to oversee global operations as it develops BioVAT, an engineered heart muscle patch based on induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) being tested in a Phase 2 trial for advanced heart failure. Repairon says his priorities include scaling production and preparing later-stage clinical work. Schumann previously led tissue-engineering company TETEC.
Maxion Therapeutics: Former Pfizer CSO joins the board. Mikael Dolsten has become an independent nonexecutive director at the Cambridge biotech. His appointment brings drug development experience to Maxion as it works to move its antibody-based KnotBody programs toward the clinic. The company raised $72 million in 2025 to advance its lead program, MAX001, and other candidates. Dolsten’s role is a board seat, rather than an executive position.
