Gradalis Appoints Industry Veteran Steven D. Weinstein As CEO To Advance Its Personalized Anti-Cancer Therapies

Gradalis, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing personalized anti-cancer therapies, announced the appointment of Steven D. Weinstein as its new Chief Executive Officer. Weinstein joins the company with more than twenty years of experience in life sciences leadership, venture capital, and building healthcare organizations. His career includes guiding early-stage companies through strategic financing, clinical development, and operational execution, ultimately helping bring innovative medical technologies to market.

David Shanahan, Chairman and co-founder of Gradalis, said that Weinstein’s deep background in oncology and his ability to turn scientific breakthroughs into successful businesses make him an excellent choice to lead the company. He added that Weinstein’s vision and experience will support Gradalis’ mission to advance its immunotherapy platform and deliver impactful treatments for patients with cancer.

In his remarks, Steven Weinstein expressed his enthusiasm for joining the company. He noted that recurrent and resistant solid tumor cancers remain some of the most difficult challenges in the field of oncology. According to him, Gradalis’ strong mechanistic understanding and its biomarker-driven approach to patient selection create a promising foundation for personalized immunotherapy. He shared that he looks forward to working with the team to expand access to the company’s therapies and improve outcomes for patients.

Steven Weinstein brings more than two decades of experience as a life science venture capital investor and company builder. He spent twelve years as Managing Director of the Novartis Venture Fund, where he played a key role in investment decisions across an $800 million global portfolio. Before his time at Novartis, he worked with Prism Venture Partners, a $1.25 billion family of funds, and began his career in venture capital as a Kauffman Fellow with Mid-Atlantic Venture Funds.

His leadership experience includes serving as CEO of Gregor Diagnostics, where he assembled a leadership team and advanced research, development, and clinical strategy for a novel prostate cancer diagnostic. He was also Chairman of SpectraWAVE, an interventional cardiology imaging company that was recently acquired by Philips after progressing from R&D to the commercial stage. Additionally, he served as interim CEO of Rox Medical, a cardiovascular-focused company.

Beyond his executive roles, Weinstein is actively involved in several scientific and healthcare advisory capacities. He is a member of the Product Development Review Council for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), an advisor to the UPMC Enterprises Fund, and an Expert-in-Residence with Digitalis Commons, where he supports ARPA-H’s innovation efforts. He also advises the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute.

He has previously worked as a consultant for Genentech Neuroscience and the American Academy of Ophthalmology and served on the Innovation Advisory Board for Mass General Brigham Healthcare. Steven Weinstein holds an MBA with distinction from the University of Michigan Business School and a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Columbia University.