BioCentury
ARTICLE | Management Tracks

Ball succeeds Maderis as CEO of Antiva

Plus: Valente joins Xencor and updates from Sutro, Gameto and more

April 28, 2023 11:45 PM UTC

Antiva Biosciences Inc. announced the transition of President and CEO Gail Maderis to the role of chairman, along with the closing of a $53 million series E round. Maderis is succeeded as CEO by Kristine Ball, who will join the company’s board along with Florencia Segal and Brian Goodman from series E leader MPM-BioImpact Capital. Ball was CEO of Soteria Biotherapeutics Inc. and held leadership positions at Menlo Therapeutics Inc., Relypsa Inc. and KAI Pharmaceuticals Inc. Antiva is developing topical treatments for pre-cancerous lesions caused by HPV.

Xencor Inc. (NASDAQ:XNCR) hired Nancy Valente as EVP, chief development officer, effective May 1. Valente concluded an 18-year career at the Genentech Inc. unit of Roche (SIX:ROG; OTCQX:RHHBY)
in 2021 and is a director at Myovant Sciences GmbH and Immatics N.V. (NASDAQ:IMTX). She joined Xencor’s board in September 2022, a role from which she has resigned. Xencor is developing engineered antibodies and cytokines to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases...