EMERYVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nutcracker Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company dedicated to developing transformative RNA therapies through its proprietary technology platform, today announced the appointment of John Stubenrauch, Ph.D., as Chief Operating Officer. Stubenrauch will help strengthen and expand Nutcracker Therapeutics’ operations, while also overseeing therapeutic manufacturing, quality, and supply management.

“John brings invaluable leadership and industry experience to Nutcracker Therapeutics as the company continues taking decisive steps toward realizing the therapeutic potential of RNA for patients across multiple oncology indications,” says Igor Khandros, Ph.D., co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Nutcracker Therapeutics. “His successful and extensive track record of strategic product executions within the biopharmaceutical industry should prove instrumental in guiding our growth in the years to come.”

Stubenrauch’s 25-year career in biopharma saw him earn several leadership positions, where he was tasked with advancing various product modalities, including biologics, vaccines, antibody-drug conjugates, and synthetic peptides. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Biologics Commercial Operations at Gilead Sciences following the acquisition of Immunomedics, where he was Senior Vice President of Manufacturing. Earlier in his career, he was a site General Manager at AstraZeneca and held various positions at Merck’s Manufacturing Division in support of new product launches. Stubenrauch received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and his MBA from the Wharton School of Business.

“Nutcracker Therapeutics’ innovative technology platform and pipeline represent a unique opportunity to harness the immense potential of RNA technology to provide life-changing treatments for patients in need,” says Stubenrauch. “The tremendous work put forth by the Nutcracker Therapeutics team over the past four years has produced a strong foundation for the company’s therapeutic efforts, and I am eager to contribute to this dynamic, talented group.”

Nutcracker Therapeutics has further expanded its senior leadership with Geoff Nosrati, Ph.D., as Chief Business Officer (CBO), and Ian Wiener, J.D., as Executive Vice President and General Counsel. Nosrati previously served as CBO at ImmunoScape and Senior Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development at Aduro Biotech. At Nutcracker Therapeutics, he will oversee business development and corporate strategy. Wiener will advise the company on legal, business, and policy matters. Prior to Nutcracker Therapeutics, he was a partner at the law firm of Irell & Manella LLP.

These leadership additions follow Nutcracker Therapeutics’ recent $167 million in Series C financing, led by ARCH Venture Partners. The funding is primarily supporting the development of the company’s technology platform and therapeutic pipeline, which it revealed earlier in June through its new website. Nutcracker Therapeutics’ pipeline currently comprises three initial mRNA drug candidates, targeting indications such as HPV-driven tumors, T cell lymphoma, and genitourinary tumors. Its lead candidate, NTX-0250, is currently in IND-enabling studies.

About Nutcracker Therapeutics, Inc.

Nutcracker Therapeutics, Inc. is an RNA technology company that has combined the power of advanced engineering with high-precision biosynthesis to deploy a complete RNA platform that encompasses the design, delivery, and manufacturing of RNA therapeutics. Armed with this high-tech advantage, we have initiated multiple therapeutic programs with the support of clinical investigators at leading institutions. Our technology platform has the potential to significantly reduce costs and cycle times for RNA therapeutic development, with dramatic advantages in speed and capacity scaling over other RNA manufacturing approaches.

For more information, visit www.nutcrackerx.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220622005155/en/