BOSTON — Strand Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing programmable mRNA medicines, has appointed Kunal Bhatia as Chief Financial Officer as it advances its platform and clinical pipeline.
Bhatia brings 15 years of investment banking experience, having led fundraising, business development and mergers and acquisitions efforts for more than 100 public and private biopharmaceutical companies.
“As we enter the next chapter, we’ve identified a financial leader who matches Strand’s ambition and momentum,” said Jake Becraft, PhD, co-founder and chief executive officer of Strand Therapeutics. “With early validation of our platform in the clinic, we have built a pipeline from solid tumor immuno-oncology to systemic delivery to in vivo cell therapy. As we enter the next chapter, we’ve identified a financial leader who matches Strand’s ambition and momentum. Having worked alongside some of the most ambitious biotech builders through capital raises and transactions, Kunal knows what it takes to scale innovative platform companies through their critical growth stages.”
Prior to joining Strand, Bhatia served as interim chief financial officer and chief business officer to a portfolio of private life sciences companies. He previously worked as a managing director in the healthcare investment banking group at Cowen, and held earlier roles at Jefferies and Credit Suisse.
“Strand is at an inflection point, with clinical momentum, a growing pipeline, and the kind of investor syndicate that reflects real conviction in the platform,” said Bhatia. “I’m looking forward to working with the team to build on that foundation as the company enters its next phase.”
The appointment follows several recent milestones, including a $153 million Series B funding round led by Kinnevik with participation from Regeneron Ventures, Amgen Ventures and Eli Lilly, as well as multiple executive and board additions.
The company has also reported initial Phase 1 data for its lead candidate, STX-001, in patients with advanced solid tumors who had exhausted other treatment options. Strand said it plans to advance another candidate, STX-003, into the clinic in mid-2026 while continuing to expand its platform across multiple therapeutic areas.
