HAYWARD, Calif.– Rondo Therapeutics, a privately-held biopharmaceutical company advancing next-generation immuno-oncology platforms, announces the appointment of Steven James to its Board of Directors. Mr. James brings over three decades of biopharmaceutical experience to Rondo’s Board of Directors. He was instrumental in building and leading several companies into the clinic, resulting in $2B+ in M&A value for stakeholders. Mr. James’ addition to the Board of Directors strengthens Rondo’s leadership team as the company continues to drive development of T-cell engaging bispecific antibodies for solid tumors.
“We are thrilled to welcome Steve to the Board,” said Shelley Force Aldred, co-founder, and CEO of Rondo Therapeutics. “With Steve’s business acumen and transactional experience, our board and leadership team are uniquely positioned to deliver transformative solid tumor therapies to patients.”
“There is great therapeutic potential for bispecific antibodies to address significant unmet needs in solid tumors. I am impressed by what the team at Rondo Therapeutics has accomplished to date, and I am excited to be a part of Rondo’s continued growth,” said Mr. James.
Mr. James comes to Rondo with a proven record of building companies in the biotech industry. Most recently he was President and CEO of Pionyr Immunotherapeutics. Under his leadership the company made significant therapeutic advances in novel target discovery and antibody generation, targeting immunosuppressive cells in the tumor microenvironment. The company was acquired in parts by Gilead and Ikena Oncology. Prior to Pionyr, Mr. James served as president and CEO of Labrys Biologics, leading its acquisition by Teva Pharmaceuticals. Before Labrys, Mr. James was president and CEO of KAI Pharmaceuticals which was acquired by Amgen. Mr. James also serves on the boards of Juneva Therapeutics, Lyterian Therapeutics, Ventus Therapeutics, and Allakos, Inc.
Mr. James has held leadership positions at Exelixis, Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, and Eli Lilly. He received his MBA from Kellogg School of Northwestern University and an undergraduate degree in neuroscience from Brown University.
