Vivace Therapeutics appoints Craig Gibbs as CEO and Ellen Lubman as chief business officer ahead of phase 3 mesothelioma trial

Vivace Therapeutics announced two senior leadership appointments. Craig Gibbs, Ph.D., will serve as the company’s president and chief executive officer, while Ellen Lubman joins as chief business and strategy officer.

Gibbs comes to Vivace after leading Asher Biotherapeutics as CEO and previously serving as chief business officer at Forty Seven, a company acquired by Gilead in 2020. His experience spans biotech development and strategic partnerships.

Lubman previously held the chief business officer role at Werewolf Therapeutics, which recently completed a reverse merger. Together, the new executives are expected to guide Vivace as it moves its lead candidate, VT3989, into a phase 3 registrational trial for mesothelioma patients who have already received combination immunotherapy and chemotherapy.

VT3989, a TEAD autopalmitoylation inhibitor, already carries Fast Track and Orphan Drug designations from the FDA, positioning Vivace for accelerated development and potential market impact.