Dr John Friend, chief medical officer (CMO) of Kazia Therapeutics Ltd (ASX:KZA, NASDAQ:KZIA) will immediately assume the role of chief executive officer following the resignation of CEO and managing director Dr James Garner.
Dr Friend will also take up the position of MD and join the board in due course. He will continue to be based in New Jersey and will work with Dr Garner in the short term to ensure a healthy transition.
His appointment utilises the experience and legacy he has already built with Kazia.
“Dr John Friend brings a wealth of drug development and business experience to Kazia and has made an excellent contribution during his time with the company. The Board is delighted that John has accepted the role of CEO as we believe he will be an excellent steward for the next phase of the company’s growth,” non-executive chairman of Kazia, Iain Ross said.
Ross also paid tribute to outgoing CEO, Dr Garner and the legacy he has left.
“Dr James Garner joined Kazia in February 2016 and was responsible for the transformation of the legacy Novogen business into the current organization. He drove the in-licensing of paxalisib and EVT801 and managed the deployment of a broad clinical program for both assets, in collaboration with leading cancer centres in the United States and Europe.
“On behalf of the Board and on a personal basis, I want to thank James for his enormous contribution to Kazia, and to wish him every success in his future endeavours. As Kazia now moves towards further clinical readouts and potential commercialisation of paxalisib, it is timely to reposition the company’s executive team.”
Dr Garner has left to pursue other opportunities.
A good friend comes in as CEO
Dr John Friend has been with Kazia as CMO since November 2021 and has been responsible for and instrumental in managing and expanding Kazia’s portfolio of clinical programs.
He is an accomplished physician executive with a more than 25-year career history and extensive background in establishing and leading critical business units in small to mid-sized biopharmaceutical companies.
Previously he was CMO at Cellectar Biosciences (NASDAQ:CLRB), Inc, a clinical-stage, oncology-focused biotech company based in Florham Park, NJ. Prior to his time at Cellectar, he held executive roles with responsibility for research and development, regulatory affairs, medical affairs, pharmacovigilance and risk management at various pharmaceutical companies including Helsinn Therapeutics, Akros Pharma, Actavis, Alpharma, Hospira (NYSE:HSP) and Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT).
“I join Iain in adding my thanks to Dr James Garner for the many years of strong leadership he has delivered to Kazia. He leaves the company well positioned with two excellent, unique clinical assets in paxalisib and EVT801, and a broad program of ongoing clinical trials, many of which are expected to produce data during CY2023,” Dr Friend said.
“We retain a highly accomplished, professional team which holds a deep understanding of our clinical assets and pipeline. I look forward to working closely with Iain, together with the Board and team to drive the company forward as Kazia’s next CEO.”