Industry veteran brings expertise in oncology and immuno-oncology and a strong track record of advancing programs through clinical development
SOUTH RIDING, VA. – May 14, 2024 – Slone Partners, a nationwide executive search firm for life sciences and healthcare organizations, has announced the placement of Dr. Eugene P. Kennedy, M.D, F.A.C.S. as Chief Medical Officer at Carisma Therapeutics Inc. (“Carisma”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing innovative immunotherapies.
Dr. Kennedy brings more than 15 years of clinical and industry experience to Carisma, including cross-functional leadership driving clinical development and regulatory strategies for oncology and immuno-oncology focused organizations. In his role as Chief Medical Officer, he will be responsible for overseeing Carisma’s clinical development, regulatory, and medical affairs functions.
Before joining Carisma, Dr. Kennedy served as Chief Medical Officer at Galera Therapeutics, where he oversaw the development of the company’s radiotherapy in cancer. Prior to that, he served as Chief Medical Officer at Innovative Cellular Therapeutics, where he played a pivotal role in developing the Phase 1 clinical protocol and securing a first-in-human IND for a solid tumor CAR T-cell therapy. Previously, he served as Chief Medical Officer at Lumos Pharma and NewLink Genetics. Earlier in his career, Dr. Kennedy served as Associate Professor of Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University and held various leadership positions at the Jefferson Pancreas, Biliary & Related Cancers Center. Dr. Kennedy has also practiced, taught, and held leadership roles at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Louisiana State University.
Dr. Kennedy received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and an M.D. from the Medical College of Virginia.
“Dr. Kennedy is a highly accomplished and respected physician, healthcare executive, and thought leader with extraordinary vision and passion and a history of driving successful new ventures across various therapeutic areas,” said Jennifer Lemasters, Senior Vice President, Executive Search, and Partner at Slone Partners. “He comes to Carisma at an exciting time in its evolution and will be a tremendous addition to its leadership team.”
“On behalf of Carisma, I am delighted to welcome Gene to our team,” said Steven Kelly, President and Chief Executive Officer of Carisma. “With his extensive expertise in oncology and a proven track record in designing and executing clinical trials for solid tumors, Dr. Kennedy brings invaluable insights to our organization that should immediately have a positive impact. We are excited to add his leadership to our organization to build on the momentum in our clinical program and to help advance our pipeline to deliver innovative treatments to patients.”
“Throughout my career, I have always been driven to seek out new modalities with the potential to profoundly impact patients’ lives, and Carisma represents an extraordinary opportunity for me to fulfill this mission,” said Dr. Kennedy.
ABOUT SLONE PARTNERS
Founded in 2000, Slone Partners is a premier nationwide executive search firm that delivers visionary leaders who build amazing life sciences and healthcare organizations. With a nationwide presence in the most active industry hubs, we specialize in discovering and placing world-class Board, C-Suite leadership, and upper management talent with experience, conviction, and cultural competence in emerging and well-established companies. Our portfolio of executive search and advisory services includes customized cultural solutions through strategic planning, education, training, and coaching. Slone Partners proudly holds the designation as a Certified LGBT Business Enterprise™ by the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) and has earned recognition as a Top Executive Search Firm and a Top 20 Diversity and Inclusion Services firm by Manage HR. To learn more about Slone Partners’ value proposition and processes, visit https://www.slonepartners.com or call 888.784.3422.
ABOUT CARISMA THERAPEUTICS
Carisma Therapeutics Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on utilizing its proprietary macrophage and monocyte cell engineering platform to develop transformative immunotherapies to treat cancer and other serious diseases. Carisma has created a comprehensive, differentiated proprietary cell therapy platform focused on engineered macrophages and monocytes, cells that play a crucial role in both the innate and adaptive immune response. Carisma is headquartered in Philadelphia, PA. For more information, please visit www.carismatx.com.