EVEXTA-BIO
Evexta Bio SA, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing first-in-class therapies in oncology, announces the appointment of Shawn M. Leland, PharmD, RPh as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Shawn is an accomplished pharmaceutical and biotechnology professional with more than 15 years of experience in the industry. Throughout his career, Shawn has successfully advanced novel oncology assets and programs, raised substantial capital for various ventures, negotiated major global licensing agreements, and established strategic partnerships. His extensive experience in leading biotech startups, raising capital and executing strategic collaborations will be a major benefit to Evexta Bio in its growth and corporate development strategy.
Most recently, Shawn was the Interim CEO and Board Director of ForeBio, where he led the company through a phase 2 study with registrational intent and closed a $75M Series D financing.
In July 2019, Shawn founded Elevation Oncology, where he served as Chief Business Officer and Board Director, and later as CEO until January 2023. During his mandate, the company advanced multiple novel targeted oncology assets. Shawn raised over $200M in capital, which included a $100M IPO. Shawn grew Elevation Oncology from zero to more than 50 employees.
Shawn was Head of Business Development at Verastem Oncology from 2017 – 2019 and Argos Therapeutics from 2013 – 2017 where he played a pivotal role in each company’s corporate development strategy leading multiple partnerships and licensing transactions. Shawn started his career with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, ARIAD Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly. Shawn holds a PharmD from Albany College of Pharmacy.
Alain Chevallier, former Chairman of the board of Directors of Evexta Bio, said: “I'm pleased to be handing over the chairmanship to a great professional of the oncology and biotech field as Shawn, who brings new valuable perspectives to Evexta Bio, and I will continue, as Vice-Chairman, to be fully committed to the success of the Company.”
Scott Filosi, CEO of Evexta Bio added: “I am delighted to welcome Shawn as Chairman of the Board of Directors. His experience and expertise in oncology and strategic development of biotechnology companies are real assets for Evexta Bio. I’m looking forward to working with him to accelerate the mission of Evexta Bio.”
Shawn M. Leland, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Evexta Bio, said: "I’m looking forward to joining the team of Evexta Bio in such a pivotal moment of its development. Evexta Bio has tremendous potential and I thank the members of the Board of Directors for their trust.”
About Evexta Bio (https://www.evextabio.com)
Evexta Bio is a biopharmaceutical company exploring the new frontiers of oncology in search of daring novel therapeutic approaches with the potential to save lives. Now, in the clinic, the company is currently developing two proprietary therapeutic assets with novel mechanisms of action across several indications:
- Rupitasertib, an optimized S6K inhibitor with efficient AKT1/AKT3 control of compensatory AKT feed-back loop. The oral anti-tumor agent is expected to enter phase 2 clinical trial in ESR1mt ER+ HER2- advanced breast cancer.
- EVX020, a sole-in-class KIF20A kinesin inhibitor having shown potent nonclinical efficacy in hematological and solid tumor models. Two strategies are under assessment, development of EVX020 as a prodrug and as a payload for antibody-drug conjugate (ADC).
Founded by Truffle Capital, supported by Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany) as shareholder, Evexta Bio has forged alliances with leaders in academia and industry, including CNRS, Paoli-Calmettes Institute (Marseille, France) and Merck KGaA. The company is supported by seasoned management team, board of directors and medical advisory board.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240619024966/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
AWS Launches AWS European Sovereign Cloud and Announces Expansion Across Europe15.1.2026 08:00:00 CET | Press release
AWS announces the general availability of the AWS European Sovereign Cloud and plans to expand across Europe with new AWS Local Zones in Belgium, the Netherlands, and PortugalAmazon plans to invest more than €7.8 billion in the AWS European Sovereign Cloud in Germany and support an average of 2,800 full-time equivalent jobs annually Today, Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced the general availability of the AWS European Sovereign Cloud, a new, independent cloud for Europe entirely located within the EU, and physically and logically separate from other AWS Regions. The AWS European Sovereign Cloud’s unique approach provides the only fully featured, independently operated sovereign cloud backed by strong technical controls, sovereign assurances, and legal protections designed to meet the needs of European governments and enterprises for sensitive data. AWS also announced plans to extend the AWS European Sovereign Cloud footprint from Germany across the EU to support stringent isolation, i
Cargill Advances Maritime Decarbonisation with Delivery of First Green Methanol Dual-Fuel Vessel15.1.2026 08:00:00 CET | Press release
Brave Pioneer is the first in a new fleet of chartered vessels designed to scale Cargill’s investment to low-carbon innovation across dry-bulk shipping Cargill today announced the maiden voyage of Brave Pioneer, the first of five green methanol dual-fuel dry bulk vessels chartered by the company. The deployment of the Brave Pioneer marks another important milestone in Cargill’s broader decarbonization efforts – one focused on innovation, testing and learning as the company works with customers and partners to refine future-ready solutions for Cargill and the industry. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260114083757/en/ Built by Tsuneishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. and owned by Mitsui & Co. Ltd., Brave Pioneer is equipped to operate on both conventional marine fuels and green methanol, a lower-carbon alternative. Built by Tsuneishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. and owned by Mitsui & Co. Ltd., Brave Pioneer is equipped to ope
Axelspace Signs MoU with Ethiopian Company to Address Social Challenges through the Utilization of Satellite Data15.1.2026 07:30:00 CET | Press release
Axelspace Corporation (“Axelspace”), a leading developer and operator of microsatellites dedicated to realizing its vision of “Space within Your Reach,” has made a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Jethi Software Development PLC (“Jethi”), an Ethiopian technology company, to cooperate on addressing social and development challenges through the utilization of satellite-based Earth observation (EO) data. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260114413353/en/ Naol Debele, Chief Executive Officer of Jethi (left), and Yuya Nakamura, President and CEO of Axelspace, at the signing ceremony on January 13 in Ethiopia The MoU was signed by Naol Debele, Chief Executive Officer of Jethi, and Yuya Nakamura, President and CEO of Axelspace. The signing ceremony, held in Ethiopia on January 13 (local time), was attended by representatives of the Space Science and Geospatial Institute (SSGI) of Ethiopia, members of the Jethi Bo
Samsung Epis Holdings Delivers Business Updates at the 44th J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference15.1.2026 01:40:00 CET | Press release
Samsung Bioepis plans to secure 20 biosimilars in its products and pipeline by 2030The new pipeline will include dupilumab, guselkumab, ixekizumab, fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki, vedolizumab, and ocrelizumab, in addition to pembrolizumab currently in Phase 1 and 3 clinical studiesHaving secured investigational new drug application (IND) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), SBE303, Samsung Bioepis’ novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) engineered to target Nectin-4, will enter into the Phase 1 first-in-human clinical trial this yearSamsung Bioepis plans to add one novel therapeutic candidate in clinical study every year Samsung Epis Holdings (KRX: 0126Z0) today shared corporate progress and updates at the 44th J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260114206458/en/ Kyung-Ah Kim, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Samsung Epis Holdings "2026 is a mon
Most Delivered Light-Entry Jet Cessna Citation M2 Gen2 With Garmin Autothrottles Enters Into Service, Bringing Greater Control and Precision to Pilots14.1.2026 20:30:00 CET | Press release
The Cessna Citation M2 Gen2 with Garmin Autothrottles recently entered into service. Certified by the Federal Aviation Administration in October 2025, the integration of Garmin’s Autothrottle system in the Citation M2 Gen2 further supports the most delivered light-entry jet’s capabilities by bringing greater control and precision to pilots. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260114646844/en/ Most delivered light-entry jet Cessna Citation M2 Gen2 with Garmin Autothrottles enters into service, bringing greater control and precision to pilots (Photo Credit: Textron Aviation). The Cessna Citation M2 Gen2 is designed and manufactured by Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company. “We continue to invest in our products to provide customers with the best aviation experience in the world," said Lannie O’Bannion, senior vice president, Sales & Marketing. “The M2 Gen2 leads its segment as the most delivered
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom