CHARM Therapeutics Appoints Dr. Erkut Bahceci As Chief Medical Officer To Lead Clinical Strategy & Development

CHARM Therapeutics has announced the appointment of Dr. Erkut Bahceci as Chief Medical Officer following the company’s $80 million Series B financing, co-led by NEA and SR One, to advance its next-generation menin inhibitor into clinical development. In his new role, Dr. Bahceci will oversee clinical development strategy and execution as CHARM prepares its lead menin inhibitor, a potential new therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), for first-in-human studies, with clinical trials expected to begin in 2026.

Dr. Bahceci brings over 20 years of experience in hematology, oncology, and stem cell transplantation, having led global drug development programs through early and late-stage trials, including regulatory submissions and approvals in oncology. He joins CHARM from BlueSphere Bio, where he served as Chief Medical Officer, managing clinical development programs across hematologic malignancies, rare diseases, and solid tumors.

Gary Glick, Executive Chair of CHARM Therapeutics, said in a statement, “We welcome Erkut to CHARM at an important time for the Company. Our next-generation menin inhibitor, discovered using our proprietary protein–ligand co-folding platform, DragonFold, is designed to overcome resistance mutations and deliver deeper, more durable responses for patients with AML. Erkut’s leadership experience in oncology drug development and regulatory strategy will be critical as we move into the clinic.”

Dr. Erkut Bahceci, Chief Medical Officer at CHARM Therapeutics, also added, “CHARM’s approach to next generation menin inhibition offers potential to address all known resistance mutations. I am excited to be working with the team to advance this exciting approach into clinical development to deliver meaningful benefits for patients with AML.”

Previously, Dr. Bahceci held leadership positions at Takeda Oncology as Senior Vice President and Head of Oncology Development, and at Astellas Pharma US as Vice President of Medical Science-Hematology, where he led the clinical development of gilteritinib. He also held senior medical roles at Bristol-Myers Squibb and Bayer HealthCare. Dr. Bahceci earned his Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from Marmara University, bringing extensive expertise to CHARM as it advances its innovative AML program.