BOSTON, MA - Nereid Therapeutics, a biotechnology company that is discovering new disease treatments by applying pioneering research and technologies to biomolecular condensates, announced today that Michael Kauffman, M.D., Ph.D., has joined the company as President and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Kauffman will also join the Nereid Board of Directors. Spiros Liras, Ph.D., a venture partner at Apple Tree Partners (ATP) who has been acting CEO of Nereid since the company was created by ATP in late 2020, will continue to serve on Nereid's Board of Directors and the company's Scientific Advisory Board.
"We are delighted to welcome Michael to Nereid at a pivotal juncture when, having demonstrated translatability of chemical matter that modulates liquid-liquid phase separation behavior to disease-relevant cellular phenotypes, we are now rapidly progressing several programs addressing high-value targets in cancer and other diseases," Dr. Liras said. "Michael brings to Nereid the right energy at the right time. He combines proven experience in leading teams delivering lifesaving therapies from the laboratory to patients, deep expertise in all aspects of industry, and a drive and passion to apply Nereid's groundbreaking science to achieve significant medical breakthroughs."
Over a career in biopharmaceuticals spanning nearly three decades, Dr. Kauffman has led organizations through the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel drugs, including three FDA- and EMA-approved anti-cancer drugs: Velcade®, Kyprolis®, and Xpovio®. Most recently, he spent more than a decade as CEO and co-founder of Karyopharm. Prior to that, he was Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and then a clinical consultant for the Kyprolis® approval at Onyx Pharmaceuticals (subsequently acquired by Amgen). He has also served as a board member and then CMO of Proteolix, Operating Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, and CEO of Epix Pharmaceuticals and Predix Pharmaceuticals (which was acquired by Epix). Earlier in his career, he held leadership positions at Millennium Pharmaceuticals and Biogen. He currently chairs the boards of BiVictriX Therapeutics and Incendia Therapeutics and serves on the Boards of Verastem Oncology, Kezar Life Sciences, and Adicet Bio. He is licensed to practice medicine in Massachusetts and completed his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees at Johns Hopkins, followed by residency at Beth Israel Hospital and fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital, both affiliated with Harvard Medical School.
"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," Dr. Kauffman said. "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."
Dr. Kauffman and other members of the Nereid leadership team will be onsite for meetings at the 42nd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference taking place January 8-11, 2024, in San Francisco, CA.
