Kazia Therapeutics Ltd (ASX:KZA, NASDAQ:KZIA) has appointed Karen Krumeich as chief financial officer to focus on building and maintaining relationships with US investors, preparing the company for future expansion and raising the profile of Kazia in global markets.
KZA’s lead program is paxalisib, a brain-penetrant inhibitor of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, which is being developed to treat glioblastoma, the most common and most aggressive form of primary brain cancer in adults.
Pennsylvania-based Krumeich will formally join Kazia in January 2022.
“It is a great pleasure to welcome Karen to Kazia. This has been a transformative period for the company, and we anticipate an exciting few years ahead,” Kazia CEO Dr James Garner said.
“To that end, we have been taking steps to augment the company’s senior leadership. Karen brings to Kazia more than 30 years of experience in corporate finance, focused almost entirely on the life sciences sector, and has driven the growth of numerous private and public biotech companies.”
About Karen Krumeich
KZA describes Krumeich as the perfect appointee who comes in with not only accounting qualifications, but as a licensed pharmacist also.
Krumeich has held roles with Grancare, Inc, an integrated healthcare services provider, and with Bristol-Myers Squibb, in a senior position with the company’s global Health Systems Management team.
She has served as CFO to growth-stage biotech companies, both public and private, including Soligenix (NASDAQ:SNGX), Inc, and, most recently, Theravectys, Inc.
“My excitement with Kazia is driven by the quality of its pipeline, which includes two very promising assets," Krumeich said.
"This is an important time for the company, as it matures from a development-stage venture with a single program to a pre-commercial company with a richly diversified pipeline. I look forward to working with the team to help drive the next stage of the company’s growth.”