Tessera Therapeutics Taps Joseph Romanelli as New CEO

Tessera Therapeutics has appointed Joseph Romanelli as its new President and Chief Executive Officer. Romanelli succeeds Michael Severino, who led the company since June 2022. The leadership transition comes at a pivotal stage for Tessera as it advances its first in vivo gene editing program into clinical development.

Romanelli joins Tessera from Merck & Co., Inc., where he was President of Human Health International and a member of the Executive Team. He has over 30 years of experience in global pharmaceutical leadership, including commercial strategy, international business, and organizational growth.

Tessera is pioneering Gene Writing technology, which it is using to develop next-generation in vivo genetic medicines for diseases such as sickle cell disease, oncology, and autoimmune disorders. The company has secured an investment of up to US$50 million from the Gates Foundation to develop a gene editing therapy for sickle cell disease.

Commenting on Romanelli's appointment, Geoff von Maltzahn said, 'Joe has spent more than three decades building teams, forging partnerships, and commercializing innovative medicines across global markets. His experience scaling organizations makes him exceptionally well suited to lead Tessera.'