CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Cedilla Therapeutics, a biotechnology company bringing a new dimension to precision oncology, today announced appointments across its research and development (R&D) and finance teams, including Joshua Murtie, Ph.D., as Vice President of Biology and Chris Lindblom as Vice President of Finance. These hires are part of an ongoing initiative to expand Cedilla’s leadership and enable future growth as the company progresses its lead programs, conditional inhibitors of TEAD and CDK2, toward the clinic and continues to develop a broad portfolio of small molecule medicines that target key oncogenic drivers.

“We are delighted to expand our team with these key hires, who share our passion and commitment to developing targeted medicines that conditionally modulate proteins in their functional state,” said Alexandra Glucksmann, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Cedilla Therapeutics. “We look forward to Joshua and Chris’ many contributions as we continue to explore the power of our novel approach to access historically undruggable cancer drivers, advance our lead conditional inhibitor programs targeting TEAD and CDK2 into clinical development, and ultimately build Cedilla into a fully integrated organization and leader in precision medicine.”

Leadership Appointments:

Joshua Murtie, Ph.D., has been appointed Vice President of Biology. Dr. Murtie brings over ten years of industry experience to Cedilla. He worked most recently as Senior Director at Servier Pharmaceuticals, where he oversaw cancer biology, in vivo pharmacology and early-stage program management at the company’s U.S. research site. Earlier, he spent nearly seven years at Agios Pharmaceuticals in roles of increasing responsibility, ultimately serving as Senior Director and Head of Cancer Biology, with responsibility for the strategic oversight of the company’s cancer biology portfolio from early target discovery to translational research. Prior to Agios Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Murtie worked as an investigator at Sanofi and Novartis. He holds a Ph.D. in molecular and cell biology from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and completed his research fellowship at Harvard Medical School.

“I am thrilled to join Cedilla, particularly as we prepare to advance our lead programs, targeting TEAD and CDK2, into investigational new drug application-enabling studies next year,” said Dr. Murtie. “Both TEAD and CDK2 are well-known yet elusive cancer targets, which, if drugged successfully, could benefit the lives of patients living with a broad range of solid tumors. I am incredibly impressed by the collaborative and innovative culture at Cedilla and look forward to working closely with the team to translate our research efforts into precision therapies for patients in need.”

Chris Lindblom has been appointed Vice President of Finance. Over the course of his 19 years in the biotechnology industry, Mr. Lindblom has crafted long-range financial plans for public and private companies and played a key role in helping companies raise capital through private equity rounds, venture debt deals and public offerings. Prior to joining Cedilla, Mr. Lindblom served as Vice President of Finance at IFM Therapeutics, Cogen Immune Medicine (through its merger with Torque Therapeutics to form Repertoire Immune Medicines) and Warp Drive Bio (through its acquisition by Revolution Medicines). Earlier, Mr. Lindblom held various senior finance roles at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, including through the commercial launch of VELCADE^®, and at Infinity Pharmaceuticals. He also served as Vice President of Finance at OvaScience and Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration at BIND Therapeutics. Mr. Lindblom holds an MBA from Boston College and a B.S. in accounting from Syracuse University. He is also a CPA.

“Since its founding, Cedilla has attracted a strong team, including leading scientists and advisors and a robust investor syndicate, to support its mission to bring a new dimension to precision oncology and deliver medicines that can offer profound benefits to patients,” said Mr. Lindblom. “I am honored to take on this role and eager to partner with my new colleagues as we continue building Cedilla for its next phase of growth.”

About Cedilla Therapeutics
Cedilla Therapeutics is bringing a new dimension to precision oncology. We have discovered new ways to selectively inhibit oncogenic drivers with small molecules that conditionally modulate proteins in their functional state. Our conditional inhibitors are unlocking critical and elusive cancer targets including TEAD and CDK2. We are a driven and patient-focused team. Follow our journey at www.cedillatx.com and LinkedIn.

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