Klein Hersh Assists Artios Pharma with CEO Search
September 11, 2025 – Horsham, PA-based Klein Hersh, a search firm focused on the life sciences and healthcare industries, has helped to recruit Mike Andriole as director and CEO of Artios Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company committed to realizing the therapeutic power of targeting the DNA damage response (DDR) in cancer. He succeeds Niall Martin, Artios’ founding CEO, who will remain an advisor to the company through a transition period.
“On behalf of the board, I’m thrilled to welcome Mike Andriole to Artios,” said Samantha Truex, newly appointed board chair. “As the company advances its lead program into later stages of clinical development, Mike’s extensive late-stage oncology experience and strategic focus make him a perfect fit to lead Artios. I’d like to thank Niall for his outstanding leadership and dedication. He has built Artios based on fundamental scientific leadership in the DDR space and has been instrumental in guiding Artios from its discovery platform roots to having two DNA damage response-based therapeutic candidates in the clinic.”
Mr. Andriole joins the company with a biopharmaceutical career that spans nearly 25 years, marked by a consistent theme of focused execution across clinical, corporate, and strategic development. He joins Artios after having most recently served as president, CEO and director of Chimerix, Inc., where he led the company’s acquisition and development of dordaviprone (Modeyso), a first-in-class small molecule imipridone approved on August 6, 2025, as the first treatment for recurrent H3 K27M-mutant diffuse midline glioma, a type of malignant brain tumor in children and young adults. Chimerix was acquired in April 2025 by Jazz Pharmaceuticals in a $935 million all-cash transaction. Previously, he was CFO and head of corporate development at Endocyte, Inc., where he led a series of strategic transactions that culminated in a $2.1 billion all-cash acquisition by Novartis. Earlier in his career, Mr. Andriole spent 16 years at Eli Lilly and Company in various financial, marketing, and global business development roles.
Mr. Andriole’s appointment supports the company’s transition into a late-stage clinical organization preparing for the potential commercialization of alnodesertib (formerly ART0380) in ATM-deficient solid tumors.
“Artios is entering its next chapter with tremendous momentum as a leader in the DDR field capable of redefining standards of care in the treatment of certain solid tumors,” said Mr. Andriole. “I’m excited to lead the company at this pivotal stage and build on its strong scientific foundation as we take alnodesertib into late-stage development and prepare for potential commercialization. I look forward to collaborating with the talented Artios team to deliver on our mission to bring life-changing first-in-class therapies to patients worldwide who have few treatment options.”
Related: Klein Hersh Recruits CFO for Apogee Therapeutics
Artios is pioneering approaches in the DNA damage response (DDR) field through its comprehensive anti-cancer approach and the deep experience of its team of DDR drug developers. The company’s mission is to develop new classes of medicines that exploit DDR pathways with the aim of improving outcomes for patients with hard-to-treat cancers.
Established in 1998, Klein Hersh is an executive search firm that partners with clients to deliver executive leaders for global pharmaceutical, biotech, and healthcare companies as well as operating businesses of PE and VC-backed investments. Noteworthy clients include Akero, Aktis Oncology, Apogee Therapeutics, ArchWell Health, Atlas Venture, BainCapital Life Sciences, Biogen, Capital Rx, ConcertAI, CytoReason, Dispatch, Fairmount, Forbion, Foresite Capital, Frazier Healthcare Partners, Iambic, ITM, Koa Health, LifeMine, LongueVue Capital, Lyric, MacroHealth, McKesson, Moderna, Morningside, Odyssey Therapeutics, Oruka Therapeutics, Pacira Biosciences Inc., Paragon Therapeutics, Posterity Health, Revolution Medicines, TPG, Transformation Capital, Treeline Biosciences, and Unlearn.
TRex Bio Search
Klein Hersh recently placed Brandon Hants as the new CFO of TRex Bio Inc. (TRexBio), a biotechnology company decoding human tissue immune biology to create revolutionary therapeutics. The search was led by Marc Miller, Jared Kaleck, and Josh Albert.
The Select Guide to America’s Top 250 Executive Search Firms
Hunt Scanlon Media proudly presents the Select Guide to America’s Top 250 Executive Search Firms.
This comprehensive online directory is your definitive resource for finding the best executive search firms to serve your talent needs.
Our guide is meticulously curated to connect you with leading firms that specialize in various industries and functions, ensuring you find the perfect match for your executive recruitment needs.
Mr. Hants has more than 25 years of experience leading finance, accounting, and corporate functions, and scaling biopharma and life sciences organizations for growth. He was most recently CFO at Applied Molecular Transport, a biopharmaceutical company developing novel, oral therapeutics to treat severe autoimmune, metabolic, and inflammatory diseases. Before that, Mr. Hants was CFO at Singulex, and earlier held roles of increasing responsibility at Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics and Genentech.
TRexBio is a biotechnology company developing purpose-built therapeutics leveraging cutting-edge computational biology tools, a focus on human tissue, and deep immunobiology expertise. The company’s Deep Biology platform maps human tissue Treg behavior to disease processes to identify and characterize novel targets for therapeutic intervention. The company is headquartered in South San Francisco, CA.
Related: Leadership Void: Change Agents Sought for Life Sciences Sector
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
