Vivace Therapeutics Appoints New Leadership to Drive Phase 3 Cancer Trial

The San Mateo-based biopharmaceutical firm has appointed Craig Gibbs, previously of Asher Biotherapeutics, as its new President and Chief Executive Officer. Alongside Gibbs, the company added Ellen Lubman as Chief Business and Strategy Officer and brought oncology veteran Tim Clackson onto its Board of Directors. This management shuffle arrives as the company prepares for the sTEADfast clinical study, targeting patients who have exhausted traditional immunotherapy and chemotherapy options.

VT3989 acts as a first-in-class TEAD autopalmitoylation inhibitor, a mechanism designed to disrupt the Hippo signaling pathway that drives tumor growth. Given that mesothelioma currently lacks tumor-specific targeted treatments, the drug’s potential to address refractory cases has garnered both Fast Track and Orphan Drug designations from the FDA. With the new leadership team in place, Vivace intends to transition from a research-focused innovator to a commercial-stage oncology player, focusing on the upcoming trial initiation scheduled for later this year.