BOSTON, Feb. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ikena Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: IKNA), a targeted oncology company forging new territory in patient-directed cancer treatment, today announced the resignation of Dr. Sergio Santillana and the appointment of Dr. Caroline Germa as Chief Medical Officer. Her addition comes at a pivotal time with the Company’s focus on its clinical programs, IK-930 and IK-595, underscoring Ikena’s commitment to driving innovation in the targeted oncology space.
“Our clinical team is firing on all cylinders to bring the right patients into our ongoing IK-930 and IK-595 studies, and to collaborate with our investigators to learn as much as we can from these two novel Phase I programs. Dr. Germa’s leadership and experience in clinical drug development, in both the biotech space and the large pharma world, will be instrumental to our development effort and strategy, as we set both of our programs up for success,” said Mark Manfredi, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Ikena. “We are confident that Dr. Germa’s contributions will continue to broaden patient access to our programs and, in turn, drive value for our investors and stakeholders, as we remain on track to deliver a clinical update in the second half of this year.”
Dr. Germa is an accomplished medical oncologist and clinical development leader with over 25 years of pharmaceutical experience across the spectrum of drug development, from early clinical trials to late phase and registrational studies. Prior to Ikena, Dr. Germa served as the EVP, Global Medicine Development, and Chief Medical Officer at Transcenta Therapeutics, where she played a pivotal role in shaping strategic goals for the company’s oncology and non-oncology portfolio, ensuring successful execution across all clinical development functions. Previously, Dr. Germa held senior leadership positions at global pharmaceutical companies such as AstraZeneca as Vice President and Head of Oncology Early Development Clinical Group, Bristol Myers Squibb as Development Team Lead for NKTR214, and Novartis where in particular she led the development and registration of KISQALI®, solidifying her reputation as a trailblazer in advancing oncology care in the relentless pursuit of a cure for cancer. Dr. Germa earned her Medical Doctor degree and board certification in medical oncology at the University of Lille, a degree in immunology from the University of Lille and a degree in health economics from Paris Diderot University in France.
Dr. Germa added, “I am thrilled to be joining Ikena at a time when it is primed for clinical inflection across the pipeline. The opportunity to work in a first-in-class program like IK-930, in a novel pathway like Hippo, is one that does not come often. In addition to that, I am deeply motivated by the work the team has done to solve what is missing for RAS and RAF mutant cancer patients who are unaddressed by the current available treatments with IK-595. I am looking forward to collaborating with this team on both of these novel targeted oncology programs for patients with great unmet needs.”
Dr. Sergio Santillana will resign from his role as Chief Medical Officer upon Dr. Germa’s appointment and will continue to consult for the Company to ensure a smooth transition of clinical responsibilities and activities to Dr. Germa. Dr. Manfredi continued, “We would like to thank Sergio for his dedication and contributions to Ikena. Dr. Santillana’s leadership was integral to bringing our programs into the clinic, and we wish him well in his future endeavors.”
About Ikena Oncology
Ikena Oncology® is focused on developing differentiated therapies for patients in need that target nodes of cancer growth, spread, and therapeutic resistance in the Hippo and RAS onco-signaling network. The Company’s lead targeted oncology program, IK-930, is a TEAD1 selective Hippo pathway inhibitor, a known tumor suppressor pathway that also drives resistance to multiple targeted therapies. The Company’s second clinical stage program targets the RAS signaling pathway with IK-595, a novel MEK-RAF molecular glue. Ikena aims to utilize their depth of institutional knowledge and breadth of tools to efficiently develop the right drug using the right modality for the right patient. To learn more, visit www.ikenaoncology.com or follow us on X and LinkedIn.
