IDEAYA Biosciences Announces Appointment of Healthcare Investment Banking Veteran Joshua Bleharski as Chief Financial Officer

Rhea-AI Summary

IDEAYA Biosciences (NASDAQ: IDYA) has appointed Joshua Bleharski, Ph.D. as Chief Financial Officer, expected to transition into the role by early May. Dr. Bleharski joins from J.P. Morgan, where he served as Managing Director and Global Co-Head of Biopharma in the Healthcare Investment Banking group for nearly 17 years.

During his tenure at J.P. Morgan, Dr. Bleharski advised on financing and strategic transactions exceeding $65 billion in value for biotechnology companies. The company currently has 6 potential first-in-class clinical programs and 3 preclinical programs in development across multiple solid tumor indications.

Dr. Bleharski's background includes positions as Senior Staff Scientist at a private biotechnology company and post-doctoral fellowships at LIAI and UCLA School of Medicine. He holds a BS in Biology from Duke University, a Ph.D. in Immunology from UCLA, and an MBA from UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business.

Positive

• Appointment of seasoned financial executive with 17 years of investment banking experience
• New CFO brings expertise in transactions valued over $65 billion
• Company has robust pipeline with 6 clinical and 3 preclinical programs in development

Negative

• None.

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Feb. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- IDEAYA Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: IDYA), a precision medicine oncology company committed to the discovery and development of targeted therapeutics, today announced the appointment of Joshua Bleharski, Ph.D. as Chief Financial Officer.  Dr. Bleharski joins IDEAYA from J.P. Morgan, where he spent nearly 17 years advising clients in the biopharma sector on capital markets transactions, corporate strategy and other investment banking services. IDEAYA anticipates that Dr. Bleharski will complete the transition into his new role by early May. 

"We are ecstatic to welcome Josh to IDEAYA as we advance our broad potential first-in-class precision medicine oncology pipeline and build a fully integrated biotechnology company.  Josh is a highly accomplished finance executive, with extensive corporate finance, strategy, public financing, and strategic transactions experience that will be invaluable as we drive forward our vision to build the industry leading precision medicine oncology company," said Yujiro S. Hata, President and Chief Executive Officer of IDEAYA Biosciences. 

"I am thrilled to be joining IDEAYA during this exciting phase of growth as the company advances 6 potential first-in-class clinical programs and 3 preclinical programs through IND-enabling studies across multiple solid tumor indications.  I look forward to working alongside their team of talented, dedicated professionals to realize our collective vision of building a leading precision medicine oncology company focused on scientific innovation and addressing high unmet medical needs in cancer," said Dr. Bleharski.

Prior to IDEAYA, Dr. Bleharski served as a Managing Director and Global Co-Head of Biopharma with J.P. Morgan's Healthcare Investment Banking group.  Over the course of his banking career he advised on numerous financing and strategic transactions representing more than $65 billion of value for biotechnology companies worldwide.  Earlier in his career he worked as a Senior Staff Scientist at a private biotechnology company in San Diego and was a post-doctoral fellow at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology (LIAI) and the UCLA School of Medicine.  Dr. Bleharski holds a BS in Biology from Duke University, a Ph.D. in Immunology from the University of California, Los Angeles and an M.B.A. from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.

About IDEAYA Biosciences

IDEAYA is a precision medicine oncology company committed to the discovery and development of targeted therapeutics for patient populations selected using molecular diagnostics. IDEAYA's approach integrates capabilities in identifying and validating translational biomarkers with drug discovery to select patient populations most likely to benefit from its targeted therapies. IDEAYA is applying its research and drug discovery capabilities to synthetic lethality – which represents an emerging class of precision medicine targets.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements related to the company's advancement of its clinical and pre-clinical programs and potential commercialization of its products. IDEAYA undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of IDEAYA in general, see IDEAYA's Annual Report on Form 10-K dated February 20, 2024 and any current and periodic reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Investor and Media Contact
IDEAYA Biosciences
Andres Ruiz Briseno
SVP, Head of Finance and Investor Relations  
investor@ideayabio.com

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SOURCE IDEAYA Biosciences, Inc.

FAQ

When will Joshua Bleharski start as CFO at IDEAYA Biosciences (IDYA)?

Dr. Bleharski is expected to complete the transition into his role as CFO at IDEAYA Biosciences by early May 2025.

How many clinical programs does IDEAYA Biosciences (IDYA) currently have in development?

IDEAYA Biosciences currently has 6 potential first-in-class clinical programs and 3 preclinical programs in development across multiple solid tumor indications.

What was Joshua Bleharski's previous position before joining IDEAYA (IDYA)?

Dr. Bleharski served as Managing Director and Global Co-Head of Biopharma with J.P. Morgan's Healthcare Investment Banking group.

What is the total value of transactions Dr. Bleharski advised on during his banking career?

During his banking career, Dr. Bleharski advised on financing and strategic transactions representing more than $65 billion in value for biotechnology companies worldwide.