Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Names Kevin Tang CEO

By Chris Stiles • Monday, March 23 17:17 • Permanent Link

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals is overhauling its top ranks, naming board chair Kevin Tang as chief executive officer and moving Peter Greenleaf into a consulting role after a 7-year run as CEO.

The company also added three new executives: Ryan Cole as chief operating officer, Michael Hearne as chief financial officer and Thomas Wei as chief scientific officer. Stew Kroll will remain chief development officer, and Stephen Robertson will stay on as general counsel.

Tang said the company is in “an extremely strong position,” pointing to LUPKYNIS and the advance of aritinercept through clinical studies.

The leadership change comes as Aurinia continues to build around its autoimmune-disease portfolio. LUPKYNIS, launched in January 2021, is the company’s FDA-approved oral therapy for adult patients with active lupus nephritis. Its lead pipeline asset, aritinercept, is a dual inhibitor of BAFF and APRIL and is moving through clinical development. The market has reacted to these announcements by moving the company's shares -0.13% to a price of $14.85. For more information, read the company's full 8-K submission here.

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