Nick Galli Joins Alphina Therapeutics As CEO, Strengthens Leadership In Tumor Treatment

Alphina Therapeutics, a chief biotech company focusing on developing an advanced inhibitor of NAMPT to treat diverse kinds of solid tumors, announced that Nick Galli has been appointed as its new chief executive officer and board member. Galli, who brings nearly two decades of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, has a strong strategy, business development, and fundraising background, having helped raise over $450 million in capital for biotech companies. Barbara S. Fox, Ph.D., who was previously serving as Alphina's interim CEO, will now take on the role of chair of the board of directors.

Alphina is advancing its NAMPT inhibitor program with a unique approach, employing a synthetic lethality strategy to increase the therapeutic potential of its small molecules. The company has developed a proprietary assay that helps identify the 30% of patients with solid tumors, like non-small cell lung, colorectal, ovarian, and others, who are more likely to respond to their treatments. Alphina's molecules are designed to minimize the toxicities that have been issued for other NAMPT inhibitors in clinical trials.

Colleen Cuffaro, Ph.D., a member of Alphina's board and a partner at Canaan Partners, said in a statement, "We are excited to welcome Nick to Alphina and thrilled that Barbara will continue to support the company as board chair. Their combined experience and track records of success will help ensure the continued efficient advancement of the company's best-in-class NAMPT inhibitor program to enter the clinic in the next 18 months.”

In September 2021, Alphina raised $40 million in Series A funding led by Canaan Partners, with contributions from Osage University Partners, HighCape Partners, and others. Before Alphina, Mr. Galli was an executive officer at Interline Therapeutics and held management positions across both CytomX Therapeutics and Denali Therapeutics. He also worked at Johnson & Johnson Innovation, overseeing senior-level responsibility for business development. His extensive experience includes leading strategic partnerships with major pharmaceutical companies and driving business development efforts.

"Alphina has elegantly addressed the liabilities that hindered the development of first-generation NAMPT inhibitors. I am pleased to join this talented team of drug developers as we advance our novel approach. I believe we have an opportunity to meaningfully improve the lives of many patients across several difficult-to-treat solid tumor indications," commented Mr. Nick Galli. 

A seasoned biotech leader, Dr. Fox, will help steer Alphina as it prepares for clinical development. With a successful track record in guiding early-stage companies to profitable outcomes, she previously served as CEO of Rheos Medicines and Tilos Therapeutics, which was acquired by Merck in 2019. Fox's leadership experience ranges from several key positions in the biotech field, making her well-suited to support Alphina's next phase of growth.

Barbara S. Fox expressed, "I am excited to lead Alphina's board of directors as the company enters its next development phase. NAMPT inhibition is a potent anti-cancer mechanism with tremendous potential across large solid tumor indications. I believe the company's synthetic lethality strategy, novel patient selection assay, and optimized molecules will unlock this target for patients.”