Chimeric Therapeutics (ASX:CHM) has announced several planned changes to key management roles for 2022.
Dr Eliot Bourk, the company's vice president of business and corporate development since March this year, has been promoted to the role of chief business officer (CBO) and head of external innovation.
In this newly expanded role, Dr Bourk will continue to lead business and corporate development while taking the extended responsibility for Chimeric’s early scientific strategy.
The company said this newly created executive role, along with a new head of clinical development role to be appointed in early 2022, is reflective of its rapid portfolio growth with the addition of the CORE-NK platform in December 2021 and the CDH17 CAR T in July 2021.
Dr Bourk holds a PhD in molecular pathology with a research focus in cancer immunology from the University of California.
Dr Bourk has worked extensively at leading cell therapy companies Celgene and Kite on the early preclinical development of multiple cell therapy assets.
Chimeric said its chief medical officer Dr Syed Rizvi will be leaving the company to pursue other opportunities in the new year.
"Dr Rizvi has played an important role in advancing Chimeric’s early clinical efforts and the board thanks him for his important contributions at a pivotal stage. He will remain in the role until January 2022, enabling a seamless transition of the relevant responsibilities as Chimeric identifies a new executive candidate," said the company.
“Our recent portfolio growth has resulted in the need for expertise that will allow us to rapidly advance our preclinical assets alongside multiple phase 1 clinical trials in solid tumours and blood cancers,” said CEO Jennifer Chow.
“These newly created roles will provide us with both the expertise and focus we need to continue our rapid growth and development. I am thrilled to have Eliot taking on this new executive leadership role for Chimeric, having worked with him for more than five years and knowing his deep commitment to this company, I am more than confident that he will be highly successful advancing our therapies through preclinical development to accelerate our development plans.”