Cambridge, Mass.– Akamis Bio, a clinical-stage oncology company developing tumor-specific immuno-gene therapies, has strengthened its leadership team with three key executive appointments as it accelerates the development of its immunotherapy platform targeting solid tumors.
The company announced Monday that John Hayes, CPA, has joined as Vice President of Finance; Michael Kuczewski has been appointed Vice President of Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC); and Dr. Satinder Rawat has taken on the role of Senior Director of Business Development and Alliance Management.
“These accomplished leaders are joining Akamis at a pivotal moment,” said Howard Davis, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Akamis Bio. “Their collective expertise will be instrumental in supporting both our internal development efforts and our external collaborations as we work to bring transformative therapies to patients with solid tumors.”
The appointments come as Akamis advances its lead candidate, NG-350A, currently being evaluated in a Phase 1b clinical trial in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). The FORTRESS study (NCT06459869) recently dosed its first patient and is assessing NG-350A in combination with chemoradiotherapy. The therapy is delivered intravenously and uses the company’s proprietary T-SIGn® platform to trigger a targeted immune response by expressing a CD40 agonist antibody within tumors.
Hayes brings over 20 years of finance experience in life sciences, most recently serving as Vice President of Finance at Intellia Therapeutics. He previously held senior financial roles at Crestovo, Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals, and Aveo Oncology, and began his career in public accounting with PwC and Ernst & Young.
Kuczewski joins from Kelonia Therapeutics, where he led CMC efforts for gene therapy development and supported a key collaboration with Astellas. His prior roles at 2Seventy bio and bluebird bio included serving as CMC lead for the CAR-T therapy Abecma, guiding it from early-stage development to FDA approval.
Rawat brings deep experience in strategic partnerships and licensing, with a focus on gene therapy and oncology. He previously held business development roles at UMass Medical School, Taysha Gene Therapies, and Excision Biotherapeutics, and played a role in foundational deals for startups such as Voyager Therapeutics and Generation Bio. His past industry collaborations have included work with Pfizer, Sarepta, and BridgeBio.
With its expanded leadership team in place, Akamis Bio aims to accelerate progress across its pipeline and forge new partnerships to advance its immunotherapy strategy.
