Crescent Biopharma Appoints Joshua Brumm as Chief Executive Officer and Expands Leadership Team to Advance Pipeline of Potentially Best-in-Class Oncology Therapeutics
Jonathan McNeill, M.D., Appointed President and Chief Operating Officer
Ellie Im, M.D., Appointed Chief Medical Officer
Additional Leadership Appointments: Rick Scalzo, MBA, as Chief Financial Officer, and Amy Reilly, as Chief Communications Officer
Team Brings Deep Experience in Oncology Drug Development, Clinical Operations and Building Biotechnology Companies
Lead Program CR-001, an Intentionally Designed Tetravalent PD-1 x VEGF Bispecific Antibody, on Track for IND Submission in Fourth Quarter of 2025; Company Advancing Pipeline of Novel ADCs
WALTHAM, Mass., April 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crescent Biopharma, Inc. ("Crescent"), a private biotechnology company developing novel precision-engineered molecules targeting validated biology to advance care for patients with solid tumors, today announced key leadership appointments, including Joshua Brumm as chief executive officer and a member of Crescent's Board of Directors. Crescent also appointed Jonathan McNeill, M.D., president and chief operating officer; Ellie Im, M.D., chief medical officer; Rick Scalzo, MBA, chief financial officer; and Amy Reilly, chief communications officer.
Mr. Brumm is an accomplished biotechnology CEO and experienced in leading companies at various stages of development and commercialization, and in multiple therapeutic areas including oncology, through periods of significant growth.
"I am excited to return to oncology, where I began my career in biotech, and to join Crescent, a company with a tremendous opportunity to lead the next wave of innovation in cancer therapy. With a PD-1 x VEGF bispecific antibody program intentionally designed to transform the standard of care in a blockbuster immuno-oncology market and novel ADCs in the pipeline, Crescent is well-positioned to rapidly advance potentially best-in-class therapeutics across solid tumor indications," said Mr. Brumm. "Jonathan McNeill and I are looking forward to working with this accomplished team, who shares our enthusiasm for building successful biotech companies and our commitment to delivering life-changing therapies for patients."
"I'm thrilled to welcome these talented leaders to Crescent and I want to thank fellow board member, Jonathan Violin, for guiding the company and pipeline as interim CEO while we searched for the right team to drive us toward our vision of becoming a leading oncology company," said Peter Harwin, Chairman of Crescent's Board of Directors. "Josh is a dynamic CEO with a proven track record of building organizations focused on operational execution, cultivating a differentiated culture and a commitment to patients. Ellie is an experienced oncologist who helped direct the clinical development of multiple PD-1 inhibitors, including KEYTRUDA®, which transformed the immuno-oncology field, as well as ADC programs. Jonathan, Rick and Amy bring extensive expertise in corporate strategy, capital formation and stakeholder engagement. We look forward to benefiting from their collective experience to rapidly progress our programs."
Key Milestones on Track
- In October 2024, Crescent entered into an acquisition agreement with GlycoMimetics, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLYC). Following closing, which is anticipated in the second quarter of 2025, the combined company will operate under the name Crescent Biopharma and advance Crescent's portfolio of precision-engineered biologics to improve outcomes for patients with solid tumors.
- Crescent remains on track to submit an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for its lead program, CR-001, a tetravalent PD-1 x VEGF bispecific antibody, in the fourth quarter of 2025, with initial clinical data from a Phase 1 trial in patients with solid tumors expected in the second half of 2026. Novel antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), CR-002 and CR-003, are being developed as single agents and in combination with CR-001, with an IND submission for CR-002 anticipated in mid-2026.
Joshua Brumm, Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Brumm brings extensive experience in building and leading companies in biotech and healthcare to his role as Crescent's CEO. Previously, he was a general partner at Forbion, and from 2019 to 2024, he was president and CEO of Dyne Therapeutics, where he led the company through its initial public offering (IPO) and advanced two rare muscle disease programs to positive data demonstrating clinical proof-of-concept. Prior to that, he served as chief operating officer (COO) and chief financial officer (CFO) of Kaleido Biosciences as well as Versartis, leading both companies through their IPOs while progressing their product candidates through clinical development. His previous roles include serving as executive vice president of finance and principal financial officer at Pharmacyclics, an oncology company that was ultimately acquired by AbbVie; CFO at ZELTIQ Aesthetics, where he led the company through its IPO and the international product launch for CoolSculpting; and director of finance at Proteolix, an oncology company, assisting in its sale to Onyx Pharmaceuticals. He also held investment banking positions at Citigroup Global Markets and Morgan Stanley.
Over the course of his career, Mr. Brumm has led four companies to their public listings, held senior leadership positions in three companies that were acquired and raised nearly $3 billion in capital. He currently serves on the board of AIRNA, is chairman of the board of Amphista Therapeutics and is a venture partner at Forbion, a leading life sciences investment firm. Mr. Brumm holds a B.A. in business administration from the University of Notre Dame.
Jonathan McNeill, M.D., President & Chief Operating Officer
Dr. McNeill brings extensive experience in corporate strategy, business development and financing in multiple therapeutic areas, including oncology and rare disease, to his role as Crescent's president and COO. Previously, he was at Dyne Therapeutics for more than five years, most recently as chief business officer, where he led business development, executed multiple financings totaling more than $1 billion and was a key member of the executive team that advanced two neuromuscular disease programs through clinical proof-of-concept trials. Prior to that, Dr. McNeill served on the business development team at Editas Medicine where he played a key role in the execution of the company's IPO and its oncology collaboration with Juno Therapeutics. Dr. McNeill was previously a member of Boston Consulting Group's healthcare practice. He currently serves as a venture partner at Forbion, a leading life sciences investment firm. Dr. McNeill earned his B.A. in public policy and economics from the University of North Carolina and his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.
Ellie Im, M.D., Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Im brings deep experience in oncology clinical development and operations across different modalities, including ADCs and bispecific antibodies, to her role as Crescent's CMO. Most recently, Dr. Im was senior vice president of clinical development at Centessa Pharmaceuticals where she oversaw clinical development, clinical pharmacology, biostatistics, project management and safety across multiple therapeutic areas, including oncology. Prior to joining Centessa, she was senior vice president, clinical development and operations at Mersana Therapeutics where she led teams in clinical development and clinical operations. Previously, Dr. Im was clinical development lead and senior medical director at Tesaro, an oncology-focused company that was later acquired by GlaxoSmithKline, where she led the clinical development for JEMPERLI®. Earlier in her career, she served as medical director for Merck and led clinical development for KEYTRUDA. Dr. Im is a medical oncologist and holds an M.D. from Catholic University College of Medicine, South Korea. She is board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology, and a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and Hematology.
Rick Scalzo, Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Scalzo brings significant life science and public company finance experience to his role as Crescent's CFO. Previously, he spent more than five years at Dyne Therapeutics, most recently as senior vice president, head of finance and administration, overseeing several functions, including finance, accounting and facilities, leading the company's transition to a public company and assisting in the execution of multiple financings. Prior to that, Mr. Scalzo served as corporate controller at Kaleido Biosciences, where he played a key role in the execution of the company's IPO and led the accounting group's transition from private to public company. Prior to joining Kaleido, he served as corporate controller at X4 Pharmaceuticals as well as Ocata Therapeutics. At Ocata, Mr. Scalzo was a significant contributor to the company's acquisition by Astellas Pharma and the subsequent integration of the companies. He began his career in public accounting in the Health Industries practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Mr. Scalzo is a certified public accountant in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and received his B.S. in accounting from Boston College and his MBA from University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Amy Reilly, Chief Communications Officer
Ms. Reilly brings nearly 25 years of experience in the life science industry to her role as Crescent's chief communications officer, including managing investor relations, executing pipeline and product communications, building employee communications and engagement programs, and expanding corporate philanthropic initiatives. Most recently, Ms. Reilly was senior vice president, head of corporate communications and investor relations, at Dyne Therapeutics where she helped execute the company's IPO and multiple financings totaling more than $1 billion, and oversaw pipeline and internal communications as well as digital and social media. Prior to that, Ms. Reilly was vice president, communications and investor relations at Kaleido Biosciences, where she supported the company's IPO and managed executive and employee communications. She previously directed corporate communications at ImmunoGen, which was later acquired by AbbVie; led philanthropy and employee communications at Cubist Pharmaceuticals until its acquisition by Merck; and held various roles of increasing responsibility at Biogen. Ms. Reilly received her A.B. in English and American Literature from Bowdoin College.
About Crescent Biopharma
Crescent Biopharma, Inc. is a biotechnology company dedicated to advancing novel precision-engineered molecules targeting validated biology to advance care for patients with solid tumors. The Company's pipeline of three programs harnesses proven biology to accelerate the path to market for potentially best-in-class therapeutics. Crescent's lead program is CR-001, a tetravalent PD-1 x VEGF bispecific antibody, and it is also advancing CR-002 and CR003, antibody drug conjugates with topoisomerase inhibitor payloads for undisclosed targets. For more information, visit www.crescentbiopharma.com.
Contact
Amy Reilly
Chief Communications Officer
[email protected]
617-465-0586
