SAN FRANCISCO– Noetik, an AI-native biotechnology company leveraging advanced machine learning and proprietary data to discover and develop precision cancer immunotherapies announces the appointment of Dr. Shafique Virani as Chief Business Officer. Dr. Virani brings a rich background in both business development and clinical development, with experience building therapeutics portfolios at large global organizations, and securing transformational partnerships at innovative biotech organizations. His deep strategic expertise will be critical in driving multiple unique and diverse paths of value generation from Noetik’s innovative platform.
“We are thrilled to welcome Shaf to our team as Chief Business Officer. His unique expertise spanning business development, clinical development, and life science company formation, will be massively impactful in turning innovative scientific insights from our AI-enabled platform into partnerships and programs with the potential to produce differentiated therapeutics. His proven track record in establishing transformative collaborations will significantly accelerate our mission to make groundbreaking advances for cancer patients,” said Ron Alfa, M.D., Ph.D., CEO & Co-Founder, Noetik.
Prior to joining Noetik, Dr. Virani served as Recursion’s Chief Corporate Development Officer, as well as the interim Chief Medical Officer as part of his tenure. At Recursion, he was instrumental in forging partnerships with Bayer and Roche/Genentech, the latter being one of the largest drug discovery partnerships ever consummated in industry. Prior to joining Recursion, Dr. Virani was Chief Executive Officer of Navire Pharma and CoA Therapeutics (each a subsidiary of BridgeBio Pharma).
During his 13-year long tenure at Roche/Genentech as Vice President and Global Head of Neuroscience, Ophthalmology and Rare disease partnering, Dr. Virani built a portfolio of medicines including Risdiplam for spinal muscular atrophy, Enspryng for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and several therapeutics in the mid-late stage clinical pipeline through business development, licensing and acquisitions. Dr. Virani trained as a neurosurgeon in Cambridge, UK and Boston and received his M.D. from the University of Nottingham.
“Noetik was founded to not only conduct impactful science, but to bring together some of the most talented people in the industry to build a transformative ML-enabled therapeutics company. Shaf brings a unique combination of skills, bridging pharmaceutical business acumen with clinical development insight,” said Jacob Rinaldi, Ph.D., CSO & Co-Founder, Noetik.
As Chief Business Officer, Dr. Virani will accelerate Noetik’s mission through both business development and portfolio strategy by identifying and facilitating strategically impactful transactions. His leadership will be crucial in transitioning the initial therapeutic pipeline from the research phase to clinical trials, underscoring Noetik’s commitment to developing impactful precision cancer immunotherapies.
“Joining Noetik as Chief Business Officer was an obvious decision. The team are some of the most passionate people I have worked with before and I am certain will move the needle in cancer therapeutics. The platform capabilities they have built in such a short amount of time are truly impressive in terms of furthering precision medicine in oncology using modern tools and technologies – I’m excited for the opportunity to blend my background in business development, strategic partnerships, and clinical insight with the innovative spirit of this team,” said Dr. Virani. “Together, we’re set to redefine what’s possible in our industry, driven by a shared vision for transformative impact on patients.”
