Ambrx Biopharma introduced Kate Hermans as its new interim CEO this week, replacing Feng Tian — who will still be involved with the company in an advisory capacity.
Kate Hermans, a member of Amrx's board, will be replacing Tian "effective immediately." Hermans also serves as a board member for other organizations, such as reproductive-health app Biowink.
In the statement shared, the company also said it would be conducting a review of its development pipeline to further extend its cash, as well as a prioritization of its third-party partnerships, such as NovoCodex in China.
The announcement comes a few months after Bristol Myers Squibb ended phase 2 development for FA relaxin, which they snagged from Ambrx back in 2011 for $24 million. Ambrx has since signed other development deals with BMS, and no comments were made about the future of the drug.
The California-based biotech specializes in the development of Engineered Precision Biologics, therapies created using the company’s own expanded genetic code technology platform. According to Ambrx, its proprietary technology allows researchers to incorporate synthetic amino acids within living cells with superior precision. The company’s pipeline is mainly focused on creating antibody-drug conjugate and immune-oncology conjugate candidates, including ARX788; an antibody drug candidate being studied in breast, gastrointestinal, and other solid tumor trials.