Context Therapeutics Announces The Appointment Of Dr. Karen Chagin, M.D. As New Chief Medical Officer

Context Therapeutics Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing T cell engaging bispecific antibodies for treating solid tumors, has announced the appointment of Dr. Karen Chagin, M.D. as its new Chief Medical Officer, effective June 9, 2025. Dr. Chagin will succeed Dr. Karen Smith, M.D., Ph.D., MBA, LLM, who has been serving as interim CMO and will continue to be part of the company’s Board of Directors.

Dr. Chagin brings more than ten years of experience in clinical development and regulatory strategy for T cell therapies targeting solid tumors. She previously worked at Adaptimmune Therapeutics plc and Tmunity Therapeutics. Most recently, she was Senior Vice President of Early-Stage Development at Adaptimmune, where she played a key role in developing and gaining approval for Tecelra® (afamitresgene autoleucel), the first engineered cell therapy approved in the U.S. for solid tumors.

Martin Lehr, CEO of Context, stated, “Dr. Chagin’s deep experience in developing advanced T cell therapies and leading cross-functional clinical teams makes her an ideal fit for Context at this pivotal stage in our growth. Her track record in moving programs from early development through approval brings invaluable insight as we advance our portfolio of T cell engaging bispecific therapeutics. We’re thrilled to welcome her to the team. I would also like to sincerely thank Dr. Karen Smith for stepping in as interim CMO during this transition period and for her continued leadership as a member of our Board.”

Dr. Karen Chagin, mentioned, “I’m excited to join Context at such a critical and promising time in the Company’s evolution. The opportunity to advance a differentiated portfolio of T cell therapies with the potential to meaningfully impact patients with solid tumors is incredibly compelling. I look forward to working with the team to build on the strong foundation already in place and to help drive the next phase of clinical development.”

Before that, Dr. Chagin held senior leadership positions at Tmunity Therapeutics, serving as Chief Medical Officer until the company was acquired by Kite Pharma, a Gilead subsidiary. After the acquisition, she became Head of Kite Philadelphia. Earlier in her career, she worked in clinical development roles at Adaptimmune, Janssen, and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). Dr. Chagin earned her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and her M.D. from Temple University School of Medicine. She completed her residency at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago and a fellowship in pediatric hematology and oncology at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.