Tenvie Therapeutics Appoints Don O’Sullivan, Ph.D., MBA, As Chief Business Officer To Lead Corporate And Business Development As Pipeline Advances Toward Clinical Milestones

Tenvie Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on developing small molecules to transform the treatment of neurological diseases, has announced the appointment of Don O’Sullivan, Ph.D., MBA, as Chief Business Officer. In this newly created role, Dr. O’Sullivan will oversee all corporate and business development activities, including strategic collaborations, as the company advances its pipeline of fully CNS-penetrant and peripherally restricted small molecules toward key clinical milestones.

This appointment strengthens Tenvie’s leadership team as the company prepares to enter clinical development with its most advanced programs, including a fully CNS-penetrant NLRP3 inhibitor and an allosteric SARM1 inhibitor. Dr. O’Sullivan will report to Tony Estrada, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, and will serve as a member of the company’s executive leadership team.

Tony Estrada expressed enthusiasm about the appointment, noting that Dr. O’Sullivan brings a combination of scientific knowledge and business development experience that is essential for shaping and executing strategies to enhance the value of Tenvie’s portfolio. Estrada emphasized that as the company enters the clinic, Dr. O’Sullivan will play a key role in establishing collaborations necessary to bring transformative therapies to patients.

Dr. O’Sullivan said he is excited to join Tenvie at this pivotal stage in its growth. He highlighted the company’s innovative platform for engineering both fully brain-penetrant and peripherally restricted small molecules, which offers significant potential across neurological, cardiometabolic, and ophthalmic indications. He also expressed his commitment to identifying and executing strategic opportunities that accelerate the advancement of Tenvie’s pipeline and create meaningful value for patients.

Paul L. Berns, Managing Director at ARCH Venture Partners and Executive Chair of Tenvie, noted that Dr. O’Sullivan is a highly accomplished biopharma executive with deep expertise in corporate development and strategic partnerships. He emphasized that Dr. O’Sullivan’s leadership will be critical in unlocking the full potential of Tenvie’s pipeline and supporting the company’s long-term growth.

Dr. O’Sullivan brings more than 20 years of experience in biotechnology and pharmaceutical corporate development across a wide range of therapeutic areas. Before joining Tenvie, he served as Chief Business Officer at Asher Bio, an immuno-oncology company, where he led corporate and business development activities for nearly four years, including raising Series C financing and establishing strategic clinical collaborations with large pharmaceutical companies. 

Prior to Asher Bio, he spent twelve years at Genentech and Roche in progressively senior roles, including Vice President and Global Head of Oncology Partnering, and Head of gRED’s Immunology and Infectious Disease Partnering, managing transactions across multiple modalities and therapeutic areas. Earlier in his career, he was part of the Corporate Development group at Genzyme, focusing on rare and genetic diseases.

Dr. O’Sullivan holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Cambridge, an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and a B.Sc. in Biochemistry from Imperial College London. With Dr. O’Sullivan joining its leadership team, Tenvie Therapeutics is well-positioned to advance its innovative small molecule programs and continue building strategic partnerships that support its mission of delivering transformative therapies to patients with neurological diseases.