He built companies across cancer, spinal muscular atrophy and an accelerate treatment for Covid-19 and, potentially, other major infectious diseases at three multibillion-dollar drug developers. Now he's handing over the reins at Vir Biotechnology.
, currently the executive vice president and global head of pharmaceuticals strategy, business development and licensing/open innovation at Bayer, to take on the CEO role April 3. Scangos will remain as an advisor for a couple of months.
De Backer also will receive an option to buy 1.15 million shares of Vir common stock, restricted stock units of 576,452 shares and $21,000 a month for up to 18 months for her or her family relocating from Germany as well as for temporary living costs in San Francisco. DeBacker is no stranger to Bay Area biotech: She works closely with officials at Bayer's Berkeley facilities, which are key parts of the company's push into cell therapies, serves on the boards of Kronos Bio Inc. of San Mateo and the Gladstone Institutes' foundation, and was a global vice president involved with mergers and acquisitions and venture investments at Johnson & Johnson in the Bay Area.
At Biogen , the company developed the spinal muscular atrophy treatment that proved life-changing to many patients, and Scangos figured he'd shift into board roles and other advisory positions. But as he talked to ARCH Venture Partners'about an antibody-based infectious disease company — Vir — Scangos realized Vir had the vision to change the course of multiple diseases globally.
— a former Genentech executive — negotiated a collaboration in 18 days, compared to the industry norm of six to nine months, brought an antibody on board, completed manufacturing and won the FDA emergency use authorization in 15 months.But the ability by Vir to move quickly against Covid also is the result of what Scangos said are the keys to great companies: great science, great people, great culture and great funding.
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