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“Sheila and John are highly respected leaders in the biopharmaceutical community with deep experience across clinical development, finance, operations and corporate governance that will be invaluable as BlossomHill continues to advance and expand our pipeline of intentionally designed, next-generation small molecule cancer medicines,” said J. Jean Cui, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of BlossomHill Therapeutics. “As we continue to mature as a clinical-stage company with multiple precision oncology programs, the valuable perspectives and guidance of Sheila and John will help support our next phase of growth as we work to bring meaningful new treatment options to patients.”
Dr. Sheila Gujrathi is a seasoned biotech entrepreneur, physician executive, translational scientist, and drug developer. She currently serves as founder and CEO of Prana Therapies, founder and executive chair of the board of directors of Lila Biologics and Vidya Therapeutics, and director of Janux Therapeutics. Her prior roles include executive chair of Ventyx Biosciences (acquired by Eli Lilly), chair of Turning Point Therapeutics (acquired by Bristol Myers Squibb) and ADARx Pharmaceuticals, venture advisor to Orbimed, co-founder and CEO of Gossamer Bio, CMO of Receptos (acquired by Celgene Corp.), Immunology Therapeutic Head at Bristol Myers Squibb and Avastin franchise team leader at Genentech. Sheila received both her M.D. in the accelerated Honors Program in medical education and her B.S. in biomedical engineering with highest distinction from Northwestern University. She completed her internal medicine internship and residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School and additional fellowship training in allergy and immunology at the University of California, San Francisco and Stanford University.
“The BlossomHill team has built an impressive pipeline driven by deep expertise in precision oncology and intentional drug design,” said Dr. Gujrathi. “With multiple programs in the clinic, the company is well-positioned for rapid growth, and I look forward to supporting the executive team once again, as they continue to scale and execute on their development strategy.” John Schmid has more than 35 years of financial and senior leadership experience in the biotechnology industry. He currently serves as a member of the boards of directors of AnaptysBio, Inc. (ANAB), Bright Peak Therapeutics, Design Therapeutics (DSGN), First Tracks Biotherapeutics (TRAX), and Helix Acquisition Corp. III (HLXC). Mr. Schmid also served as a member of the boards of directors of Poseida Therapeutics Inc., Xeris Pharmaceuticals, and Neos Therapeutics. Previously, Mr. Schmid served as chief financial officer of Auspex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. until its sale to Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Prior to that, Mr. Schmid co-founded Trius Therapeutics where he served as the chief financial officer prior to its acquisition by Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Earlier in his career, Mr. Schmid served as the chief financial officer of GeneFormatics, Inc. and Endonetics Inc. Mr. Schmid received a B.A. in Economics from Wesleyan University and an M.B.A. from the University of San Diego.
“BlossomHill has reached an important value inflection point as it builds an experienced management team advancing multiple differentiated oncology programs,” said Mr. Schmid. “I am excited to join the board and help guide the company through its next phase of operational and strategic growth.”
About BlossomHill Therapeutics BlossomHill Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company applying an intentional, chemistry-based approach to develop innovative small molecule medicines that address significant unmet medical needs in cancer treatment. Founded and led by industry veteran J. Jean Cui, Ph.D., with her proven track record in oncology drug design and development – including three FDA-approved drugs – BlossomHill applies cutting-edge science to address key oncogenic drivers and improve patient outcomes in difficult-to-treat cancers. The company’s lead clinical programs include BH-30643, an investigational, macrocyclic, non-covalent, mutant-selective OMNI-EGFR TM inhibitor for the treatment of EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and BH-30236, an investigational macrocyclic CDC-like kinase (CLK) inhibitor for the treatment of relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (R/R AML) or higher-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (HR-MDS). BlossomHill Therapeutics is headquartered in San Diego, California and has raised over $257 million since its inception from experienced healthcare-focused investors. For more information, visit bhtherapeutics.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X .