Heidelberg Pharma Appoints Dr. Dongzhou Jeffery Liu as New CEO in Leadership Transition

Heidelberg Pharma AG has announced significant changes to its executive leadership, with Dr. Dongzhou Jeffery Liu appointed as Chairman of the Executive Management Board and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. The company's Supervisory Board revoked the appointment of Professor Andreas Pahl from these positions and installed Dr. Liu as the new leader of the clinical-stage biotech company.

Dr. Liu will transition into his permanent role as Chairman and CEO effective December 24, 2025, following his resignation from the Supervisory Board on December 23, 2025. During the interim period from November 24, 2025, until December 23, 2025, he will serve as a deputy member to the Executive Management Board under section 105 (2) of the German Stock Corporation Act. This leadership change represents a strategic shift for the company as it advances its pipeline of innovative cancer treatments.

Dr. Karl Benedikt Biesinger, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, acknowledged Professor Pahl's contributions to Heidelberg Pharma's development. Professor Pahl played a crucial role in shaping the company's unique Amanitin-based ADC technology, which has progressed to the lead clinical stage ADC project HDP-101. The Supervisory Board expressed confidence that Dr. Liu will further strengthen Heidelberg Pharma's profile with his dedication and extensive industry experience.

Dr. Liu brings more than 25 years of pharmaceutical industry expertise to his new role, including clinical and preclinical research and development experience with medicinal products, particularly ADC products. He currently serves as Chief Scientific Officer and President of Huadong Global Development at Huadong Medicine in Hangzhou, China. His previous leadership positions include roles at major pharmaceutical companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, Wyeth (now Pfizer), and Forest Labs (now Abbvie) in the United States.

In his statement, Dr. Liu expressed enthusiasm about joining Heidelberg Pharma and highlighted the potential of the company's ATAC technology for effective cancer treatment. He referenced promising clinical data with HDP-101 and expressed his commitment to leading the company toward developing a new generation of ADC products. The leadership transition comes at a critical time as Heidelberg Pharma advances multiple clinical programs.

Heidelberg Pharma specializes in developing innovative Antibody Drug Conjugates for cancer treatment, combining antibody specificity with toxin efficacy to target diseased cells. The company's pioneering ATAC technology utilizes Amanitin from the green death cap mushroom, representing a novel therapeutic approach in oncology. The lead candidate HDP-101, also known as pamlectabart tismanitin, is a BCMA ATAC in clinical development for multiple myeloma and has received both Orphan Drug Designation and Fast Track Designation from the FDA.

The company's pipeline includes additional ATAC candidates at various stages of development. HDP-102 is in clinical development for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, while HDP-103 targets metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and HDP-104 focuses on gastrointestinal tumors such as colorectal cancer, both having completed preclinical development. More information about the company's technology and pipeline is available at https://www.heidelberg-pharma.com.

This leadership change signals Heidelberg Pharma's strategic positioning to capitalize on Dr. Liu's extensive experience in ADC development and global pharmaceutical operations. The transition may accelerate the company's clinical programs and enhance its partnering opportunities in the competitive biopharmaceutical landscape. The appointment of an executive with substantial international experience could facilitate broader global development of Heidelberg Pharma's innovative cancer therapies.