Zura Bio Appoints Immunology Industry Leader Sandeep Kulkarni, M.D. as Chief Executive Officer

Core Viewpoint - Zura Bio Limited has appointed Dr. Sandeep Kulkarni as the new CEO, effective January 21, 2026, succeeding Kim Davis, who served as Interim CEO since October 2025 [1][2][3] Leadership Transition - Dr. Kulkarni will also continue his role as a Director of Zura, while Kim Davis will retain her positions as Chief Operating Officer, Chief Legal Officer, and Corporate Secretary [2] - Robert Lisicki, the previous CEO, is resigning effective January 21, 2026, after taking a medical leave of absence [2] Dr. Kulkarni's Background - Dr. Kulkarni has over two decades of experience in biotechnology, investment, entrepreneurship, and medicine, previously serving as co-founder and CEO of Tourmaline Bio [3][5] - His leadership at Tourmaline Bio included guiding the company through its acquisition by Novartis, which was completed in October 2025 [3] Company Strategy and Pipeline - Zura is entering a critical period with two potentially transformative readouts expected over the next 18 months [3] - The lead program, tibulizumab, is a bispecific antibody targeting IL-17 and BAFF pathways, validated in multiple autoimmune diseases, and is among the most advanced in development for such conditions [4][7] - Zura's pipeline includes additional candidates like crebankitug and torudokimab, which have completed Phase 1/1b studies and are being evaluated for various autoimmune and inflammatory conditions [7]