LEXINGTON, Mass. — TRIANA Biomedicines Inc. has appointed Mohan Bala as chief operating officer and added Maria Koehler and David Tuveson to its Scientific Advisory Board as the company advances its molecular glue degrader pipeline.
TRIANA, a biopharmaceutical company developing a target-first and proximity-first molecular glue discovery platform, said Bala brings more than 30 years of experience in program leadership, drug development, market access, product strategy and business development.
Bala previously served as chief development officer at Mersana Therapeutics, where he played a role in business development efforts that led to the company’s acquisition by Day One Biopharmaceuticals. He also previously served as chief operating officer at Constellation Pharmaceuticals, where he led multiple development functions and contributed to business activities that led to the company’s acquisition by MorphoSys.
Earlier in his career, Bala held roles at TESARO, Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline, Centocor and Research Triangle Institute. He holds a Ph.D. in management science from the University of Chicago.
“Mohan’s drug development prowess and his thoughtful approach to strategy, product positioning and market access makes him a strong addition to TRIANA’s leadership team as we advance our molecular glue degrader pipeline,” said Patrick Trojer, president and CEO of TRIANA. “We continue to push the boundaries of what is possible with molecular glue degrader therapies, and we look forward to collaborating closely with our new SAB members, Maria and David. Their perspective will be invaluable as we shape the future of our pipeline and aim to deliver meaningful outcomes for the patients we serve.”
Bala said he was drawn to TRIANA’s molecular glue technology, leadership team and pipeline.
“I’m excited to join TRIANA at this stage of its development. I was attracted by the Company’s molecular glue technology, the experience and vision of the leadership team, and the opportunity to advance a pipeline focused on patients with significant unmet needs,” Bala said. “I am particularly encouraged by the potential of TRI-611 for ALK+ NSCLC and look forward to working with the team as TRIANA continues to advance more of its pipeline programs into the clinic.”
Koehler is a board-certified hematologist-oncologist with more than 20 years of experience in oncology drug development. She is a partner at Omega Funds and a senior adviser to Viking Global Investors LP. She also serves as an independent director on the boards of Remix Therapeutics, Orum Therapeutics and Abdera Therapeutics.
Koehler previously served as chief medical officer and executive vice president at Repare Therapeutics, chief medical officer at Bicycle Therapeutics and vice president of strategy and innovation at Pfizer Oncology. She also held senior leadership roles at AstraZeneca, GSK and Pfizer. She earned her M.D. and Ph.D. from the Silesian School of Medicine in Poland.
Tuveson is a physician-scientist and translational oncology researcher who serves as director of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cancer Center and as the Roy J. Zuckerberg Professor of Cancer Research at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. He also serves as chief scientist of the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.
Tuveson previously held faculty positions at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Cambridge. He is a past president of the American Association for Cancer Research and has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He earned his M.D. and Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and completed clinical and fellowship training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
