Ikena Oncology and Inmagene Biopharmaceuticals Announce Kristin Yarema, Ph.D., as Chief Executive Officer of Merged Company

Company Overview - Ikena Oncology, Inc. and Inmagene Biopharmaceuticals are merging to form a new entity named ImageneBio, Inc. The merger is expected to close by the end of July 2025, following shareholder approval on July 15, 2025, and includes a $75 million private placement [3]. Leadership Appointment - Kristin Yarema, Ph.D., has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of ImageneBio. She brings over two decades of leadership experience in human therapeutics, having previously served as CEO of Poseida Therapeutics and held senior roles at Atara Biotherapeutics and Amgen [2][3]. Product Development - The lead program of the combined company is IMG-007, a humanized, subcutaneously administered, non-depleting IgG1 monoclonal antibody targeting OX40. This therapeutic candidate has shown promise in treating autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, with recent Phase 2a trials demonstrating sustained clinical activity and good tolerability [4][6][7]. Clinical Trials - IMG-007 recently completed Phase 2a clinical trials for atopic dermatitis and alopecia areata, exhibiting sustained clinical and pharmacodynamic activity. The drug's formulation allows for a half-life of 34.7 days, supporting infrequent dosing [6][7]. Market Position - The combined company will trade on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol "IMA," indicating a strategic positioning in the biotechnology sector focused on immunological and inflammatory diseases [3].