by Mrudula Kulkarni

4 minutes

Nima Farzan Joins Latigo Biotherapeutics As CEO, Paving Way For Growth

Latigo Biotherapeutics names Nima Farzan as CEO, bringing 20+ years of biopharma leadership experience.

Nima Farzan Joins Latigo Biotherapeutics As CEO, Paving Way For Growth

Latigo Biotherapeutics Inc., a biotech firm focused on creating top-tier non-opioid pain medications that address pain directly at its source, has named Nima Farzan, MBA, as its new Chief Executive Officer. Farzan, who boasts over 20 years of leadership experience in the biopharmaceutical sector, succeeds Desmond Padhi, Pharm.D., an operating partner at Westlake Village BioPartners, who has been acting as Latigo’s interim CEO.

Nancy Stagliano, Ph.D., chair of Latigo’s board of directors, said “The addition of Nima represents a pivotal moment for Latigo. His extensive industry leadership and clinical development experience will propel us toward our goal of becoming a world leader in discovering and developing non-opioid pain medicines. “Desmond’s leadership has been vital during a transformative period for Latigo, setting a solid stage for our next chapter of growth. The board extends heartfelt thanks to Desmond for his exemplary service as interim CEO.”

Farzan also said in a statement, “I am honoured to lead Latigo Biotherapeutics at such a critical juncture. With our cutting-edge approach to pain management, I am confident in our ability to drive significant advancements in the field and enhance patient care where new, safer options are needed.”

With over 20 years of leadership in the biopharmaceutical sector, Nima Farzan has made a notable impact. As CEO of Kinnate Biopharma since 2020, he spearheaded the development of three precision oncology compounds from discovery to clinical trials. His tenure saw the company's successful $270 million IPO and its acquisition by Xoma Corporation in April 2024.

Before his tenure at Kinnate, Nima Farzan dedicated seven years to PaxVax, where he ultimately served as president and CEO. There, he managed a team of 250, leading them through multiple successful funding rounds. Under his leadership, PaxVax achieved FDA licensure for Vaxchora® (a cholera vaccine), obtained a Priority Review Voucher from the FDA, and acquired several programs from Johnson & Johnson. Farzan also orchestrated numerous commercial product launches and successfully negotiated PaxVax's sale to Emergent BioSolutions, generating nearly $500 million for shareholders from these transactions.

Prior to PaxVax, Farzan held several escalating roles at Novartis AG, culminating as vice president of U.S. Marketing in the Vaccines and Diagnostics division. His earlier career included positions at DoubleTwist, a pioneering genomics firm, and as a consultant at Boston Consulting Group. After the sales of PaxVax and Kinnate, Farzan served as an executive-in-residence at Foresite Capital. Currently, he is a director at Keros Therapeutics and was a founding board member of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). Farzan holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in human biology with honors from Stanford University.

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