Dr. Mark Velleca, a veteran life science company executive and physician, is now the chief executive officer at G1 Therapeutics.
Velleca joined the venture capital-backed startup from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. G! announced his selection earlier this month.
“We are delighted to welcome Mark to G1 as our CEO,” said Seth Rudnick, a doctor himself, a venture capitalist and the chairman of G1’s board of directors.
“The combination of Mark’s well-established relationships with the oncology community and his background as a board-certified physician, scientist and industry executive make him an ideal leader for G1 as we prepare to advance our lead product candidate for chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression to IND status this summer and explore additional oncology opportunities for our novel kinase inhibitors.”
G1 raised $12.5 million in venture capital last fall. It also has received support from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.
The company is focused on discovery and development of so-called “small molecules” for use in treatment of cancer and in biodefense applications.
Velleca worked earlier in his career at CGI Pharmaceuticals, a company that was acquired by Gilead Sciences in 2010.
“I’m honored and excited to be joining G1 at such a pivotal time for the company,” Velleca said in a statement. “With its novel CDK4/6 platform, G1 has the potential to fulfill significant unmet needs for cancer patients. I look forward to working closely with G1’s talented and seasoned team, including its founders, board, investors, and scientists, to successfully grow the company and advance its pipeline of innovative therapeutics.”
Velleca, who was an attending physician at Yale New Haven Hospital and was on the faculty at Yale, received a B.S. in biology Cum Laude from Yale University and an M.D. and Ph.D. in neuroscience from Washington University in St. Louis.
