Centessa Pharmaceuticals Bolsters Leadership with Appointment of Stephen Kanes, MD PhD, as Chief Medical Officer

Centessa Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: CNTA), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing transformational medicines, has announced the appointment of Stephen Kanes, MD PhD, as its new Chief Medical Officer (CMO). Dr. Kanes brings over three decades of experience in neuroscience, clinical psychiatry, and drug development to the role, making him an invaluable addition to the Centessa team.



Dr. Kanes' extensive background in neuroscience and psychiatry, coupled with his proven track record in clinical development, makes him an ideal fit for Centessa's mission to advance its portfolio of orexin receptor 2 (OX2R) agonists. These novel therapies are being developed for the treatment of sleep-wake disorders, neurological, neurodegenerative, and psychiatric conditions, as well as excessive daytime sleepiness in various neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Prior to joining Centessa, Dr. Kanes served as Chief Medical Officer at Sage Therapeutics from 2013 to 2021, where he led the successful clinical development of ZULRESSO® (brexanolone), the first-ever treatment approved for Postpartum Depression (PPD). He also played a crucial role in building Sage Therapeutics' broad neuroscience portfolio and development organization. Most recently, Dr. Kanes was the Chief Executive Officer of EmbarkNeuro, a neuroscience-focused biotech company.

Centessa's CEO, Saurabh Saha, MD PhD, expressed his enthusiasm about the appointment, stating, "Steve is a great addition to our team and brings an exceptional set of skills in the design and execution of clinical programs across key therapeutic areas, including neurology and psychiatry. His expertise will be invaluable as we continue to progress our novel OX2R agonists for the treatment of sleep-wake, neurological, neurodegenerative, and psychiatric disorders."

Dr. Kanes echoed this sentiment, expressing his excitement about joining Centessa at such an opportune time. "Orexin agonists are one of the most exciting emerging areas of therapeutic science, and Centessa’s potential best-in-class OX2R agonists represent an extraordinary opportunity to address unmet patient needs across multiple therapeutic areas. With Phase 2a clinical studies of ORX750 now underway, it’s an exciting time to be joining Centessa. I look forward to working with the team and contributing to the success of the Company’s growing OX2R agonist franchise."

As Centessa continues to advance its OX2R agonist portfolio, the appointment of Dr. Kanes as CMO further strengthens the company's leadership and positions it for future success in the clinical development of novel therapies for various neurological and psychiatric conditions.