Gubra’s board replaces CEO; Commit staffs its first drug program; TECregen names CMO
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: Gubra fires its CEO, Commit strengthens its leadership as its first candidate prepares to enter the clinic and TECregen adds development experience.
Gubra: The board replaces its CEO to carry out its 2030 plan. Gubra’s board said a change in leadership was needed as the Danish company implements the strategy it unveiled two weeks earlier. Previous CEO Markus Rohrwild left on November 10, and CFO Kristian Borbos and ventures and business development head Zoë Johnson became co-CEOs while keeping their existing roles. Gubra aims to expand from four to 8–10 clinical-stage assets by 2030 across its own, partnered and venture programs. It also plans to launch 2–3 ventures and targets 10% average annual organic growth in its preclinical research business. Borbos was previously CFO at Ascelia Pharma; Johnson held scientific leadership roles at Affivant and iOnctura. The board said the strategy is unchanged but gave no more specific reason for replacing Rohrwild.
Commit Biologics: Two hires as its first candidate takes shape. The Danish biotech named Anne-Marie Levy Rasmussen chief operating officer and Benjamin Ole Wolthers head of clinical development as it selected COM002, its first drug candidate. Rasmussen was previously COO at Gubra, was CEO of Innovation Fund Denmark, with a portfolio of around €1 billion under management, and helped build Bavarian Nordic’s commercial organization. Wolthers has led CAR-T development teams at Kite Pharma, Galapagos and most recently Evaxion. He will guide COM002 toward a Phase 1 trial. Commit expects first patient dosing in early 2028.
TECregen: A development veteran joins before clinical testing. The Basel company appointed Elisabeth Svanberg chief medical officer as it prepares TEC001, a preclinical thymus-regeneration candidate, for IND-enabling work. Svanberg previously held clinical leadership roles at Janssen, Bristol Myers Squibb and Merck Serono, and later served as Chief Development Officer at Ixaltis and CMO at Kuste Biopharma. TECregen is initially developing TEC001 for immune impairment associated with advanced kidney disease. It also named former Evotec executive Thomas Hanke to its board.
SRTD Biotech: A dealmaker takes over after a €31.5 million seed round. The German precision mRNA company appointed Matthias Alder CEO as it raised funding to advance preclinical programs in cancer, autoimmune disease and fibrosis. Alder previously led Gain Therapeutics and served as chief business officer at Autolus. SRTD also added Heinz Koeppl as chief technology officer and Jens Hennecke as chief business officer. Its RNA technology is designed to become active only in cells carrying selected disease markers; that selectivity has yet to be established in patients.
DaltonTx: Commercial expertise for an AI drug-discovery platform. The London company appointed Melissa Landon chief commercial officer to expand use of its platform among pharma, biotech and contract research organizations. Landon most recently led commercial and business development for an AI and automation venture at Merck KGaA/MilliporeSigma. She previously held strategy and scientific roles at Cyclica and Schrödinger. DaltonTx has begun collaborations with drug-discovery companies, including Sygnature Discovery, and is now seeking to turn that early uptake into broader sales.
Trogenix: A Pfizer veteran takes the chair. John Young replaced founding chair Dima Kuzmin, who remains a director, while Orca Bio CFO and strategy head Josh Murray joined the board. Young previously served as Pfizer’s chief business officer. The appointments come as the Edinburgh biotech runs a Phase 1/2 trial of TGX-007 in glioblastoma and considers partnerships, future financing and U.S. expansion.
