CDO hire marks new development phase for Maxion Therapeutics
The company, which is developing antibody-based KnotBody® drugs for ion channel and G protein coupled receptor-driven diseases (GCPRs), has appointed industry stalwart Dr. Stefan Härtle as Chief Development Officer.
The new money is to advance Maxion's KnotBody® pipeline & platform and Dr Härtle is regarded as a game-changer.
He brings almost 20 years of pharmaceutical R & D experience to Maxion, most recently serving as Head of Clinical Pharmacology at MorphoSys, which was acquired by Novartis for $2.9 billion in February 2024. Throughout his career, he has led numerous projects from early research through Phase 4 clinical trials and played a key role in the development of several therapeutics in late-stage development or approved drugs - including the anti-CD38 antibody felzartamab and the anti-CD19 antibody tafasitamab.
Prior to joining Maxion, Dr Härtle played a key role on the Scientific Advisory Board for Human Immunology Biosciences (HI-Bio), which was acquired by Biogen in July 2024.
His expertise spans early and late clinical development including clinical pharmacology, toxicology, PK/PD simulations and bioanalysis complemented by a deep understanding of quality assurance, CMC and health authority processes. Earlier in his career he held various positions in the DMPK field at Boehringer Ingelheim.
Maxion CEO Arndt Schottelius, said: “We are delighted to welcome Stefan to Maxion at this pivotal time in our company's development. His exceptional track record in advancing novel therapeutics from discovery through clinical development aligns perfectly with our mission as we prepare to move our KnotBody® platform into the clinic.”
Dr. Härtle, added: “I am excited to join Maxion Therapeutics and work alongside their talented team to advance their groundbreaking KnotBody® technology.
“Throughout my career, I've been passionate about developing innovative therapies that address significant unmet medical needs and Maxion's approach to targeting ion channels and GPCRs represents a tremendous opportunity to create truly transformative treatments.”