November 2026 • PharmaTimes Magazine • 36-37
// YOUR MOVES //
Numab Therapeutics has appointed Dr Rajesh Chopra as Chief Scientific Officer as the company continues to advance its proprietary pipeline of multispecific antibodies in immunology and oncology.
Rajesh brings nearly four decades of experience across oncology, immunology, translational medicine and drug development, with senior roles at Prologue Medicines, Apple Tree Partners, AstraZeneca, Celgene and The Institute of Cancer Research in London.
Across his career he has contributed to the discovery and development of innovative therapies from early research through regulatory approval. His experience spans scientific leadership, portfolio strategy and the progression of complex biologics through key development stages.
The appointment strengthens Numab’s scientific capabilities as it advances
its multispecific antibody pipeline, including NM81, a trispecific antibody for inflammatory bowel disease designed with best-in-class potential.
Numab’s integrated discovery and engineering platform combines its
proprietary λ-Cap, λ-Stealth and MATCH technologies with advanced Fc engineering, enabling modular design of differentiated multispecific antibodies.
Rajesh’s background in oncology, immunology and translational medicine will support Numab’s broader pipeline of programmes across immunology, inflammation and oncology. His leadership is expected to help accelerate the development of multispecific therapeutics with improved precision and clinical impact.
Pharmanovia has appointed Dr Béchir Ben Hadj Yahia as Global Head of Medical Affairs as the company expands its presence in specialty oncology. Based in Paris, he will lead Pharmanovia’s global medical organisation, shaping medical strategy and overseeing its execution across the portfolio with in-market teams.
Béchir is an MD, PhD with more than 20 years of experience across healthcare, public health and global oncology. He spent almost ten years at Roche in senior medical roles specialising in oncology, working on more than ten oncology assets and contributing to five major launches.
Before entering the pharmaceutical industry, he pursued a clinical-academic career at university hospitals in Paris and Lille. He also served as an adviser to the French Ministry of Health’s High Council for Public Health and the French National Cancer Institute, giving him direct insight into public health decision-making.
Dr Stephen Deacon, Chief Scientific Officer, said: "Béchir combines medical rigour, deep oncology expertise and a rare understanding of how medicines are evaluated and adopted. As our portfolio grows, Medical Affairs will be central to the value we create for clinicians and partners alike, and Béchir is the right person to make that happen. We are delighted to welcome him."
Béchir added: "In specialty medicine, value is created long before launch
and sustained long after it. Medical Affairs sits at the heart of that journey, connecting science, clinical practice and the needs of healthcare systems.”
BioDuro has appointed Dr Greg Makara as Senior Vice President Lead Discovery Chemistry as the company strengthens its early-phase drug discovery capabilities. In this role he will lead the expansion of BioDuro’s computational chemistry, AI and lead discovery functions and further integrate computational approaches across the company’s early drug discovery platform.
Greg brings more than two decades
of experience in drug discovery
and chemistry leadership across pharmaceutical, biotechnology and technology companies. His background spans library development, hit-to-lead and lead optimisation, computer-aided drug discovery and AI-assisted drug discovery.
In his new role Greg will work across the discovery organisation to support lead discovery projects and expand the use
of computational approaches including molecular modelling, structure-based drug design, fragment-based discovery, virtual screening, molecular design and compound prioritisation.
“These capabilities will complement BioDuro’s experimental chemistry, biology and DMPK expertise to help clients accelerate hit identification, lead generation and optimisation while making more informed decisions throughout early drug discovery,” said Dr Armin Spura, CEO of BioDuro.
Greg added: “BioDuro has built a
strong foundation in chemistry, biology, DMPK, and integrated drug discovery, and I am excited to help further connect these capabilities with computational and medicinal chemistry.”