Gilead Appoints VP, Oncology Research

Oct 27, 2020

Gilead Appoints Valeria Fantin, Ph.D. to VP, Oncology Research


Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD), a research-based biopharmaceutical company, has appointed Valeria Fantin, Ph.D. to VP, Oncology Research.  Dr. Fantin joins Gilead Sciences from Zai Lab Limited, where she served as Chief Scientific Officer.

Dr. Fantin is a proven leader with over two decades of industry experience in exploratory biology and oncology drug discovery and development.  Prior to Zai Lab Limited, Dr. Fantin was at ORIC where she served as Chief Scientific Officer. At ORIC, Dr. Fantin was responsible for building the research team and establishing a pipeline targeting mechanisms of therapy resistance in cancer, including driving the GR antagonist ORIC-101 from discovery to the clinic. Before ORIC, Dr. Fantin was Vice President of Tumor Cell Biology at Pfizer, responsible for advancing small molecules and biologics from target validation to Phase 2 proof-of-concept across signaling, metabolism, epigenetics and immuno-oncology. Dr. Fantin contributed to the development of the first in class CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib (IBRANCE®), as well as the discovery of the brain-penetrant ALK inhibitor lorlatinib (LORBRENA®) and several compounds currently in Ph1/Ph2 studies.

Prior to that, Dr. Fantin held leadership positions at Agios Pharmaceuticals where she created and advanced an exploratory program of novel cancer metabolism targets into drug discovery. She led the execution of the company’s flagship isocitrate dehydrogenase program that provided the scientific foundation for the recently FDA approved IDH2 and IDH1 inhibitors enasidenib (IDHIFA®) and ivosidenib (TIBSOVO®), respectively. Her earlier work as a researcher at Merck Research Laboratories focused on epigenetics and kinase drug discovery projects, where she contributed to the development of the first in class HDAC inhibitor vorinostat (ZOLINZA®).

Dr. Fantin completed postdoctoral training in cancer metabolism and signal transduction at Harvard Medical School and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and earned her Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology from Dartmouth Medical School.

ON Partners and partner Suzanne Zebedee are proud to have partnered with Gilead and Dr. Fantin on this successful placement.  ON Partners has collaborated on several successful executive placements with Gilead over the last few years including the recent placement of Dr. Quigley to SVP, Research Biology.


ABOUT GILEAD

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a research-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes innovative medicines in areas of unmet medical need. The company strives to transform and simplify care for people with life-threatening illnesses around the world. Gilead has operations in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California. For more information on Gilead Sciences, please visit the company’s website at www.gilead.com.


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