Eli Lilly’s cancer R&D chief Josh Bilenker, M.D., is hitting the exit. His departure comes two years after the Big Pharma ponied up $8 billion for Bilenker’s startup, Loxo Oncology, and one year after it combined the oncology team at Lilly Research Laboratories with the Loxo team—and put Bilenker and two other Loxo executives in charge.
Those two execs were Nisha Nanda, Ph.D., and Jacob Van Naarden, who were the chief development officer and chief operating officer at Loxo, respectively. Van Naarden now takes over the CEO role at the revamped research unit, Loxo Oncology at Lilly, from Bilenker. He will continue to work alongside Nanda and David Hyman, M.D., the unit’s chief medical officer, “ensuring leadership continuity and maintaining the strategy and operating model for Loxo Oncology at Lilly,” an Eli Lilly spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
Eight months after acquiring Loxo, Lilly lost its previous cancer research chief, Levi Garraway, M.D., Ph.D. It replaced Garraway in the interim with Bilenker four months later, before rolling its cancer R&D into the rejigged Loxo unit under the joint leadership of Bilenker, Nanda and Van Naarden.
The unit takes care of discovery research, clinical development and regulatory affairs in oncology before passing the baton to Lilly’s Oncology Business Unit as candidates near U.S. regulatory approval. The company has already got the first Loxo-developed program across the finish line—RET inhibitor Retevmo—and is gearing up for more.
“On a personal level I’m sad to see Josh leave and grateful for everything he has contributed over the years. At the same time, I’m excited for the future at Loxo Oncology at Lilly,” Van Naarden said in the statement. “We’ve built an excellent team, with an emerging important pipeline, and strong support from Lilly leadership. I’m energized about what we plan to deliver over the next few years and look forward to creating a track record for Loxo Oncology at Lilly that, in time, includes multiple approved medicines for cancer patients.”
Bilenker’s destination is yet unknown, with the company saying only that he’s leaving to “focus on other interests and endeavors.” He will move into a consulting role with the company, Lilly said in the statement.