Zymeworks (NYSE:ZYME) will install Ken Galbraith as chairman and CEO, replacing the company’s outgoing leader Ali Tehrani on or before February 1.
Galbraith has more than 30 years of experience working in life sciences, venture capital and global commercialization.
“Ken Galbraith is an outstanding global leader who brings more than 30 years of life science
industry, venture capital and commercialization experience to Zymeworks, along with a proven track record of strong leadership and operational skills,” said Lota Zoth, Zymeworks’ current board chair, in a statement.
Tehrani has served as president and CEO since 2003.
Ken Galbraith
The company also announced that it would give its chief financial officer (CFO) Neil Klompas chief operating officer duties. Klompas will also retain his CFO mantle.
Specializing in multifunctional, antibody-based drugs, Zymeworks plans on revealing new data in the first half of the year for zanidatamab (ZW25), its lead product candidate.
It plans on filing two Biologics License Applications (BLA) for biliary and gastric cancer indications of zanidatamab within the next three years.
Zanidatamab has been the subject of a dozen clinical trials to date.
Last year, Zymeworks and its partner BeiGene announced the dosing of the first patient with zanidatamab in the South Korea–based HERIZON-GEA-01 study.