Cue Biopharma Appoints Dominic Borie, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Medical Officer and Head of Research & Development
Rhea-AI Summary
Cue Biopharma (Nasdaq: CUE) appointed Dominic Borie, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Medical Officer and Head of Research & Development, reporting to President and CEO Shao-Lee Lin, M.D., Ph.D. The physician-scientist and immunology expert joins as Cue advances its clinical programs in allergic and autoimmune diseases.
Cue expects a Phase 2 CSU data readout for its CUE-221 program by the end of the third quarter of 2026 and plans to initiate a Phase 1 trial of CUE-401, a bifunctional IL-2 and TGF-β molecule, by the end of the fourth quarter. According to Cue, a recently announced $50 million private placement is intended to further fund clinical development. In connection with his appointment, Dr. Borie received inducement awards comprising a stock option for 63,000 shares and 31,500 restricted stock units, both vesting over four years.
Positive
- Strategic CMO and Head of R&D hire with extensive immunology and biotech/pharma leadership experience
- Phase 2 CUE-221 CSU data readout expected by end of Q3 2026
- Phase 1 CUE-401 trial initiation targeted by end of Q4 2026
- $50 million private placement recently announced to support clinical development
- Inducement equity package aligns new CMO’s incentives with shareholder value over four years
Negative
- Inducement awards add potential dilution via 63,000 stock options and 31,500 RSUs
News Explained
Cue added employment-conditioned equity awards—63,000 option shares and 31,500 restricted stock units—that may dilute existing holders as they vest.
On
For existing common holders, the awards create potential future equity issuance that can affect ownership if the awards vest and result in shares. Both awards vest over four years subject to Dr. Borie's continued employment.
The option's exercise price is set at the closing price of Cue's common stock on
News Market Reaction – CUE
In the Jul 13 session, CUE declined 15.93%, reflecting a significant negative market reaction. Argus tracked a trough of -15.0% from its starting point during tracking. Our momentum scanner triggered 11 alerts that day, indicating notable trading interest and price volatility.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 02 | Board refresh | Positive | -6.0% | Major board transition adding commercial and finance-focused independent directors. |
| May 21 | Conference presentation | Positive | +6.8% | Jefferies Global Healthcare Conference presentation announcement with webcast access details. |
| May 14 | 1Q26 earnings report | Positive | -9.2% | Stronger collaboration revenue, narrower net loss, new CEO and strategic financing. |
| May 07 | Inducement grants | Negative | -2.0% | Large equity awards to new executives and employees under inducement framework. |
| Apr 30 | Private placement | Positive | +106.4% | Announced $30 million PIPE to fund pipeline, including Ascendant-221 development. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Recent CUE news has produced mixed reactions, with several financing and governance updates aligning with price moves but some strategic updates drawing negative responses.
Key Terms
il-2 medical
tgf-β medical
private placement financial
non-qualified stock option financial
restricted stock units financial
nasdaq listing rule 5635(c)(4) regulatory
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Physician-scientist and immunology leader joins Cue as the company advances key clinical programs in allergic and autoimmune diseases
BOSTON, July 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cue Biopharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: CUE), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company targeting transformative therapies for immune-mediated diseases, today announced the appointment of Dominic Borie, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Medical Officer and Head of Research & Development. He reports to President and Chief Executive Officer Shao-Lee Lin, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Borie joins Cue as the company continues to execute its strategy of identifying and advancing through development those immunology programs with potential to offer clinically meaningful improvements for patients. Cue expects Phase 2 CSU data readout for the CUE-221 program by end of third quarter of 2026. In addition, the company remains on track to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial of CUE-401, its first-in-class bifunctional IL-2 and TGF-β molecule with potential for broad applications across autoimmune disease, by the end of the fourth quarter. The company recently announced a
"Dr. Borie is an outstanding physician-scientist and clinical development leader whose experience spans discovery, development and advancement of innovative therapies for immune-mediated diseases," said Shao-Lee Lin, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Cue Biopharma. "His deep expertise in immunology and proven leadership across biotechnology and global pharmaceutical organizations will be invaluable as we advance our portfolio of potential new and transformative therapies. I know that Dominic shares our commitment to scientific excellence, collaboration and improving the lives of patients. We are delighted to welcome him to Cue at this exciting stage in the company's evolution."
Dr. Borie brings more than two decades of experience leading research and clinical development organizations in biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry. Most recently, he served as Strategic Advisor to the CEO and Board of Kyverna Therapeutics, where he previously served as President of Research & Development and founding Chief Executive Officer. Earlier in his career, he held senior leadership positions at Horizon Therapeutics, Genentech, Amgen, and Roche, advancing innovative immunology programs from early development through global clinical studies. Prior to joining industry, he served as Director of the Transplantation Immunology Laboratory at Stanford University and practiced as a transplant surgeon in Paris, France.
"I am excited to join Cue at such an important time for the company," said Dr. Borie. "The combination of a differentiated pipeline, a talented and mission-driven team, a solid financial foundation and the opportunity to bring meaningful new therapies to patients with allergic and autoimmune diseases is incredibly compelling. I look forward to working alongside my colleagues to thoughtfully progress on our clinical programs and help realize the full potential of our science for patients."
In connection with his appointment, the Compensation Committee of Cue Biopharma's Board of Directors approved inducement equity awards to Dr. Borie in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). The awards, granted as a material inducement to his employment, consist of a non-qualified stock option to purchase 63,000 shares of the Company's common stock and 31,500 restricted stock units. The option has an exercise price equal to the closing price of the Company's common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market on July 13, 2026, and both awards vest over four years, subject to Dr. Borie's continued employment.
About Cue Biopharma
Cue Biopharma (Nasdaq: CUE) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on advancing a portfolio of potentially transformative therapies aimed at enabling functional cures across immunological disorders. Its lead asset is a novel anti-IgE antibody with a dual-mechanism of action, currently in Phase 2 development for allergic diseases. In addition, Cue developed the Immuno-STAT® platform which selectively targets disease-specific T cells in vivo without broad immune modulation. Its lead autoimmune candidate, CUE-401, is advancing towards Phase 1 and was designed to regulate inflammation and drive Treg-mediated tolerance. Cue is led by an experienced management team with deep expertise in identifying, acquiring, and advancing promising drug candidates.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those regarding: the company’s expectations for its newly appointed executive officer and his contributions to the company; and expectations regarding the company’s growth, and the company’s business strategies, plans, and prospects. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe the company’s future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “could,” “seek,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “project,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “strategy,” “future,” “likely,” “promise,” “potential” or other comparable terms, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release regarding the company’s strategies, prospects, financial condition, operations, costs, plans, and objectives are forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause the company’s actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the company’s ability to maintain and establish collaboration, licensing and other arrangements; the company’s limited operating history, limited cash and a history of losses; the company’s ability to obtain adequate financing to fund its business operations in the near term and successfully remediate its current “going concern” determination that it does not have sufficient capital on hand to continue operations beyond the next twelve months; the company’s ability to achieve profitability; potential setbacks in the company’s research and development efforts for its current and future drug product candidates, including negative or inconclusive results from its preclinical studies or clinical trials or the company’s ability to replicate in later clinical trials positive results found in preclinical studies and early-stage clinical trials of its product candidates; serious and unexpected drug-related side effects or other safety issues experienced by participants in clinical trials; potential challenges associated with clinical trials conducted in China and the company’s access to, and acceptability of, the data therefrom; its ability to secure required U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) or other governmental approvals for its product candidates and the breadth of any approved indication; delays and changes in regulatory requirements, policy and guidelines including potential delays in submitting required regulatory applications to the FDA; the company’s reliance on licensors, collaborators, contract research organizations, suppliers and other business partners; the company’s ability to obtain adequate financing to fund its business operations in the future and ability to continue as a going concern; the company’s ability to maintain and enforce necessary patent and other intellectual property protection; competitive factors; general economic and market conditions and the other risks and uncertainties described in the Risk Factors and Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations sections of the company’s most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequently filed Quarterly Report(s) on Form 10-Q. Any forward-looking statement made by the company in this press release is based only on information currently available to the company and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
Investor and Media Contact
Agnes Lee
Chief Investor Relations & Communications Officer
Marie Campinell
Senior Director, Corporate Communications
ir@cuebio.com
Cue Biopharma, Inc.
