Context Therapeutics to Appoint Dr. Karen Chagin, M.D. as Chief Medical Officer
Context Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CNTX) has appointed Dr. Karen Chagin as Chief Medical Officer, effective June 9, 2025. Dr. Chagin brings significant expertise in T cell therapy development, having previously served as Senior Vice President at Adaptimmune where she contributed to the approval of Tecelra®, the first engineered cell therapy approved for solid tumors in the U.S. She also held the CMO position at Tmunity before its acquisition by Kite Pharma.
Dr. Chagin succeeds interim CMO Dr. Karen Smith, who will remain on the Company's Board. As part of her employment agreement, Dr. Chagin will receive an inducement grant of 153,000 stock options, vesting over four years, with an exercise price set at the closing price on her employment start date.
Context Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CNTX) ha nominato la Dott.ssa Karen Chagin come Chief Medical Officer, a partire dal 9 giugno 2025. La Dott.ssa Chagin porta con sé una notevole esperienza nello sviluppo di terapie con cellule T, avendo ricoperto in precedenza il ruolo di Senior Vice President presso Adaptimmune, dove ha contribuito all'approvazione di Tecelra®, la prima terapia cellulare ingegnerizzata approvata per tumori solidi negli Stati Uniti. Ha inoltre ricoperto la carica di CMO presso Tmunity prima della sua acquisizione da parte di Kite Pharma.
La Dott.ssa Chagin succede all'attuale CMO ad interim, la Dott.ssa Karen Smith, che resterà nel Consiglio di Amministrazione della Società. Nell'ambito del suo contratto di lavoro, la Dott.ssa Chagin riceverà una concessione incentivante di 153.000 opzioni azionarie, con maturazione in quattro anni e un prezzo di esercizio fissato al prezzo di chiusura del giorno di inizio del suo impiego.
Context Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CNTX) ha nombrado a la Dra. Karen Chagin como Directora Médica, con efecto a partir del 9 de junio de 2025. La Dra. Chagin aporta una amplia experiencia en el desarrollo de terapias con células T, habiendo sido anteriormente Vicepresidenta Senior en Adaptimmune, donde contribuyó a la aprobación de Tecelra®, la primera terapia celular diseñada aprobada para tumores sólidos en los EE. UU. También ocupó el cargo de Directora Médica en Tmunity antes de su adquisición por Kite Pharma.
La Dra. Chagin sucede a la Directora Médica interina, la Dra. Karen Smith, quien permanecerá en la Junta Directiva de la Compañía. Como parte de su contrato laboral, la Dra. Chagin recibirá una concesión de incentivo de 153,000 opciones sobre acciones, que se consolidarán en cuatro años, con un precio de ejercicio fijado al precio de cierre en la fecha de inicio de su empleo.
Context Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CNTX)는 2025년 6월 9일부로 Dr. Karen Chagin을 최고 의료 책임자(Chief Medical Officer)로 임명했습니다. Dr. Chagin은 T 세포 치료제 개발 분야에서 풍부한 경험을 보유하고 있으며, 이전에 Adaptimmune에서 수석 부사장으로 재직하며 미국에서 고형암에 대해 승인된 최초의 유전자 조작 세포 치료제인 Tecelra® 승인에 기여했습니다. 또한 Tmunity에서 CMO로 근무하다가 Kite Pharma에 인수된 바 있습니다.
Dr. Chagin은 임시 CMO였던 Dr. Karen Smith의 뒤를 이어, Smith 박사는 회사 이사회에 남게 됩니다. 고용 계약의 일환으로 Dr. Chagin은 4년에 걸쳐 권리가 부여되는 153,000주의 스톡옵션 인센티브를 받으며, 행사 가격은 고용 시작일 종가로 설정됩니다.
Context Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CNTX) a nommé Dr Karen Chagin au poste de Chief Medical Officer, à compter du 9 juin 2025. Dr Chagin apporte une expertise significative dans le développement de thérapies par cellules T, ayant précédemment occupé le poste de Senior Vice President chez Adaptimmune, où elle a contribué à l'approbation de Tecelra®, la première thérapie cellulaire conçue approuvée pour les tumeurs solides aux États-Unis. Elle a également été CMO chez Tmunity avant son acquisition par Kite Pharma.
Dr Chagin succède à la CMO par intérim, Dr Karen Smith, qui restera au conseil d'administration de la société. Dans le cadre de son contrat de travail, Dr Chagin recevra une attribution incitative de 153 000 options d'achat d'actions, acquises sur quatre ans, avec un prix d'exercice fixé au cours de clôture à la date de début de son emploi.
Context Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CNTX) hat Dr. Karen Chagin zum Chief Medical Officer ernannt, wirksam ab dem 9. Juni 2025. Dr. Chagin bringt umfangreiche Erfahrung in der Entwicklung von T-Zell-Therapien mit und war zuvor Senior Vice President bei Adaptimmune, wo sie zur Zulassung von Tecelra® beitrug – der ersten zugelassenen, gentechnisch veränderten Zelltherapie für solide Tumoren in den USA. Zuvor war sie auch CMO bei Tmunity, bevor das Unternehmen von Kite Pharma übernommen wurde.
Dr. Chagin folgt auf die interimistische CMO Dr. Karen Smith, die im Vorstand des Unternehmens verbleiben wird. Im Rahmen ihres Arbeitsvertrags erhält Dr. Chagin eine Anreizzuteilung von 153.000 Aktienoptionen, die über vier Jahre vesten, mit einem Ausübungspreis, der auf dem Schlusskurs ihres Beschäftigungsbeginns basiert.
- Appointment of experienced CMO with proven track record in T cell therapy development and approvals
- New CMO's direct involvement in first-ever FDA-approved engineered cell therapy for solid tumors
- Retention of previous interim CMO on Board of Directors, maintaining continuity of leadership
- None.
PHILADELPHIA, May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Context Therapeutics Inc. (“Context” or “Company”) (Nasdaq: CNTX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company advancing T cell engaging bispecific antibodies for solid tumors, today announced the appointment of Dr. Karen Chagin, M.D. as Chief Medical Officer (“CMO”), effective June 9, 2025. Dr. Chagin succeeds Dr. Karen Smith, M.D., Ph.D., MBA, LLM, who has been serving as interim CMO and will remain a member of the Company’s Board of Directors (“Board”).
Dr. Chagin brings over a decade of leadership in clinical development and regulatory strategy for T cell therapies in solid tumors at Adaptimmune Therapeutics plc (“Adaptimmune”) and Tmunity Therapeutics (“Tmunity”). Most recently, she served as Senior Vice President of Early-Stage Development at Adaptimmune, where she played a critical role in the development and approval of Tecelra® (afamitresgene autoleucel), the first engineered cell therapy approved in the U.S. for a solid tumor.
Dr. Chagin has also held senior leadership roles at Tmunity, ultimately serving as CMO before the company’s acquisition by Kite Pharma (a subsidiary of Gilead), where she became Head of Kite Philadelphia. Earlier in her career, she held clinical development roles at Adaptimmune, Janssen and GSK. Dr. Chagin holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.D. from Temple University School of Medicine. She performed her residency at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago and her fellowship in pediatric hematology and oncology at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
“Dr. Chagin’s deep experience in developing advanced T cell therapies and leading cross-functional clinical teams makes her an ideal fit for Context at this pivotal stage in our growth,” said Martin Lehr, CEO of Context. “Her track record in moving programs from early development through approval brings invaluable insight as we advance our portfolio of T cell engaging bispecific therapeutics. We’re thrilled to welcome her to the team. I would also like to sincerely thank Dr. Karen Smith for stepping in as interim CMO during this transition period and for her continued leadership as a member of our Board.”
“I’m excited to join Context at such a critical and promising time in the Company’s evolution,” said Dr. Karen Chagin. “The opportunity to advance a differentiated portfolio of T cell therapies with the potential to meaningfully impact patients with solid tumors is incredibly compelling. I look forward to working with the team to build on the strong foundation already in place and to help drive the next phase of clinical development.”
Inducement Grant Under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)
In connection with the employment of Dr. Chagin, the Company will grant a non-qualified stock option award in an amount of 153,000 shares of the Company's common stock as an inducement material to her accepting employment with the Company. Such stock option will have an exercise price equal to the closing price of the Company’s common stock as reported by Nasdaq as of the close of market on the date of commencement of her employment, which will be the date of grant.
Such stock option will vest as to
About Context Therapeutics®
Context Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: CNTX) is a biopharmaceutical company advancing T cell engaging (“TCE”) bispecific antibodies for solid tumors. Context is building an innovative portfolio of TCE bispecific therapeutics, including CTIM-76, a Claudin 6 x CD3 TCE, CT-95, a Mesothelin x CD3 TCE, and CT-202, a Nectin-4 x CD3 TCE. Context is headquartered in Philadelphia. For more information, please visit www.contexttherapeutics.com or follow the Company on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn.
Forward-looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” that involve substantial risks and uncertainties for purposes of the safe harbor provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements, other than statements of historical fact, included in this press release regarding strategy, future operations, prospects, plans and objectives of management, including words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “look forward,” “plan,” “intend,” and similar expressions (as well as other words or expressions referencing future events, conditions, or circumstances) are forward-looking statements. These include, without limitation, statements regarding (i) the potential benefits, characteristics, safety and side effect profile of our product candidates, (ii) continuity in the Company’s clinical development programs, (iii) the risk that the Company may not complete the leadership transition within currently anticipated timelines or at all, (iv) challenges that the Company may encounter in implementing the leadership transition, (v) the risk that leadership may not be successful or replicate previous development success, (vi) the likelihood data will support future development, and (vii) the likelihood of obtaining regulatory approval for our product candidates. Forward-looking statements in this release involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, and we therefore cannot assure you that our plans, intentions, expectations, or strategies will be attained or achieved. Other factors that may cause actual results to differ from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements in this press release are discussed in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including the section titled “Risk Factors” contained therein. Except as otherwise required by law, we disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events, or circumstances or otherwise.
Investor Relations Contact:
Jennifer Minai-Azary
Chief Financial Officer
Context Therapeutics Inc.
IR@contexttherapeutics.com
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