Coulter Partners secures industry-leading Chief Medical Officer for Solu Therapeutics

London, November 21, 2024 – Coulter Partners, the global expert building leadership teams for Health, Science and Technology innovation businesses, recently partnered with Solu Therapeutics (Solu) and is pleased to announce the placement of Sergio Santillana, MD, MSc, MBA, as Chief Medical Officer (CMO).

Solu Therapeutics is a biotechnology company pioneering novel therapies to eliminate disease-driving cells in cancer, immunology, and other therapeutic areas.

As CMO, Dr. Santillana will oversee strategic direction and execution in Solu’s clinical development programs, leading efforts and teams in clinical operations, clinical research, regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance, biometrics and medical affairs. He will also play a key role in shaping the company’s long-term R&D strategy, guiding the transition of early-stage discoveries into clinical-stage programs, and driving the progression of these programs through all phases of drug development.

“As our new Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Sergio Santillana joins our leadership team at a pivotal time as we plan to submit our first IND this year and build new levels of momentum in the advancement of novel therapies based on our CyTACTM (Cytotoxicity Targeting Chimera) and TicTACTM (Therapeutic Index Control Targeting Chimera) platforms,” said Philip J. Vickers, President and CEO of Solu Therapeutics.

“With Dr. Santillana’s deep expertise in drug development and proven track record of bringing therapies to market, he will be a vital resource in our mission to develop transformative treatments for patients living with cancer, immunological diseases and other serious illnesses.”

Commenting on the partnership with Coulter Partners, Dr. Vickers went on to say:

Coulter Partners' deep understanding of the market and their rigorous approach to executive search were instrumental in finding such a qualified candidate. Their ability to identify top talent, build strong relationships with potential candidates, and navigate complex negotiations played a crucial role in this successful placement. We were particularly impressed with their ability to bring us a candidate with a proven track record in early-stage development, fundraising, and successfully guiding companies through significant growth phases.

Dr. Santillana, Solu’s new CMO stated: “I am very excited to join the Solu Therapeutics leadership team and the efforts to unlock the full potential of the CyTAC and TicTAC platforms.

“These approaches have demonstrated the clear potential to advance novel therapies to treat cancer and other diseases, and I am eager to apply my experience to support promising research that can improve patient outcomes in many areas of significant unmet medical need.”

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Sergio Santillana, MD, MSc, MBA, Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Santillana has over 30 years of clinical experience and more than 20 years working to develop novel oncology therapies, including small molecules, monoclonal antibodies, and bispecific antibodies. His work has played a central role in the development and regulatory approval of several targeted therapies in major markets including the United States, Europe, and Japan. In his career, Dr. Santillana has held the role of Chief Medical Officer at Ikena Oncology, Merrimack Pharmaceuticals and Ariad Pharmaceuticals, and had various leadership roles at Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline and Takeda Pharmaceuticals.