Joseph Romanelli Appointed President and CEO of Tessera Therapeutics
Biotechnology firm Tessera Therapeutics has appointed Joseph Romanelli as its new President and Chief Executive Officer. The move comes as the company advances its gene editing technology into clinical trials.
Somerville, Mass. – Tessera Therapeutics announced the appointment of Joseph Romanelli as its new President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Romanelli succeeds Michael Severino, who has led the company since June 2022.
The company is advancing its "Gene Writing" platform, a novel approach to genetic medicine. Tessera has initiated clinical trials for its first in vivo gene editing program, TSRA-196, in collaboration with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. The firm also has a pipeline of other Gene Writing medicines in development, including therapies for sickle cell disease and potential in vivo CAR-T treatments for cancer and autoimmune conditions.
Romanelli brings extensive experience from the pharmaceutical industry, most recently serving as President of Human Health International at Merck & Co. In his previous role, he oversaw Merck's international human health business, valued at over $25 billion, and previously led the company's significant operations in China.
In his new capacity, Romanelli will be responsible for driving Tessera's growth and translating its Gene Writing technology into a broad portfolio of medicines. "Tessera has built a remarkable scientific platform and assembled an outstanding team," Romanelli stated. "I'm excited to work alongside them to advance a broad pipeline of Gene Writing medicines through clinical development with the goal of ultimately delivering these therapies to patients around the world."