BOSTON– Orionis Biosciences has appointed Dr. Giulio Draetta, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Strategy Officer, bolstering its leadership team as the company expands its pipeline of precision medicines for cancer and immune-related diseases.
The privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company said Draetta joins during a period of growth as it advances programs across multiple therapeutic areas, including molecular glues, conditionally active cytokines and immune cell engager technologies.
“Giulio is a renowned, world-class scientist and biopharma leader with extensive expertise in medical sciences, drug discovery, clinical translation and global partnerships,” said Niko Kley, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Orionis Biosciences. “With a unique combination of scientific acumen and translational and strategic vision, Giulio is perfectly positioned to help guide Orionis in developing a deep pipeline of technology applications in programmable biology, oncology programs and product development opportunities including drug candidates in clinical trials. We are incredibly excited to welcome Giulio to the Orionis team.”
Draetta brings decades of experience in oncology and translational research across academic, pharmaceutical and biotechnology settings. Most recently, he served as Chief Scientific Officer and director of MD Anderson’s NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, where he led initiatives aimed at accelerating the transition from laboratory discoveries to clinical applications.
Earlier in his career, Draetta held senior oncology drug discovery roles at Pharmacia–Pfizer and Merck, where he helped guide multiple therapies through development and commercialization. He has also co-founded several biotechnology companies and advised organizations on scientific strategy and portfolio development.
“I’m highly energized by the momentum across Orionis’s innovative drug discovery, design and development platforms, and by the company’s strong commitment to redefining how traditionally elusive drug targets can be tackled, cancer vulnerabilities attacked and immune system functions modulated with high levels of precision,” said Draetta. “Orionis has created an environment that thrives on innovation and efficiency, and I look forward to working with an exceptional team to help translate breakthroughs into transformative therapies for cancer and beyond.”
Orionis is developing a portfolio of precision medicine programs built on three core platforms: targeted protein degradation, conditional cytokines and multimodal cell engagers. The company said its approach integrates biology, immunology, chemistry, protein engineering and artificial intelligence tools to advance treatments for cancer and other diseases.
