About Zura Bio
Autoimmune diseases present complex clinical challenges that require sophisticated solutions. Zura Bio is focused on developing novel and transformative solutions to address the challenges posed by the heterogeneity of autoimmune diseases.
Our team, composed of industry experts and asset-hunters, leverages a dual antagonism strategy to target multiple mechanisms or pathways simultaneously, thereby potentially increasing the efficacy of treatment and addressing the multifaceted nature of these diseases.
We aspire to go beyond incremental improvements, aiming for radical breakthroughs that offer superior options for those in need.
Latest CORPORATE PRESENTATION AND PUBLICATIONS
Our Story
- 2022 100%
MAR: crebankitug (ZB-168) in-licensed from Pfizer
DEC: torudokimab (ZB-880) in-licensed from Eli Lilly and Company
MAR: crebankitug (ZB-168) in-licensed from Pfizer
DEC: torudokimab (ZB-880) in-licensed from Eli Lilly and Company
- 2023 100%
MAR: Closed Business Combination with JATT Acquisition Corp.
- Resulted in approximately $65 million in gross cash proceeds
- Began trading on Nasdaq under “ZURA” ticker
APR: tibulizumab (ZB-106) in-licensed from Eli Lilly and Company and $80M PIPE announced
SEPT: Entered into sponsored research agreement with Benaroya Research Institute
MAR: Closed Business Combination with JATT Acquisition Corp.
- Resulted in approximately $65 million in gross cash proceeds
- Began trading on Nasdaq under “ZURA” ticker
APR: tibulizumab (ZB-106) in-licensed from Eli Lilly and Company and $80M PIPE announced
SEPT: Entered into sponsored research agreement with Benaroya Research Institute
- 2024 100%
APR: $112.5M in private financing announced to advance tibulizumab in SSc and HS
JUN: Formation of a Scientific Advisory Board announced
DEC: Phase 2 TibuSURE trial initiated
JUN: Formation of a Scientific Advisory Board announced
DEC: Phase 2 TibuSURE trial initiated
- 2025 100%
MAY: Phase 2 TibuSHIELD trial initiated
MAY: Phase 2 TibuSHIELD trial initiated
Leadership Team
Sandeep Kulkarni, MD
Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Director
Sandeep Kulkarni, MD
Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Director
Sandeep Kulkarni, MD, is a co-founder of Zura and serves as its Chief Executive Officer and Director. He has served on Zura’s Board of Directors since March 2022 and was appointed Chief Executive Officer in January 2026.
Dr. Kulkarni is also the co‑founder of Tourmaline Bio, where he led the company as Chief Executive Officer from September 2021 through its acquisition by Novartis, which closed in October 2025. Prior to co‑founding Tourmaline Bio, he was a Managing Director at KVP Capital from August 2020 to June 2022, focusing on biotechnology investments and company formation.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Kulkarni held multiple roles at Roivant Sciences from July 2018 to June 2020, including Chief Operating Officer of Immunovant, Inc., Vice President of Special Projects, and Ombudsman to the Investment Committee. Prior to Roivant, he was an Investment Analyst on the life sciences team at QVT Financial LP from April 2013 to August 2017. From August 2009 to May 2012, he worked at The Boston Consulting Group, Inc., first as a consultant and later as a project leader advising biopharmaceutical companies on strategic and operational initiatives.
Dr. Kulkarni earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Harvard College and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of California, San Francisco.
Eric Hyllengren
Chief Financial Officer
Eric Hyllengren
Chief Financial Officer
Eric Hyllengren is the Chief Financial Officer of Zura and has over 20 years of experience in finance and the biotechnology industry, spanning a broad range of corporate finance and investor relations leadership roles. He joined Zura in July 2025.
Prior to joining Zura, Eric served as Vice President of Finance at Atara Biotherapeutics beginning in 2018, where he built the company’s financial planning processes and capabilities and strengthened cross-functional business partnerships. In April 2020, he assumed the additional role of Head of Investor Relations, enhancing Atara’s engagement within the analyst and investor community. He was appointed Chief Financial Officer at Atara in April 2023 and added the role of Chief Operating Officer in October 2024.
Earlier in his career, Eric spent 15 years at Amgen, most recently serving as Executive Director of Business Development and Head of Alliance Management from 2017 to 2018. His career at Amgen encompassed a range of increasingly senior roles across corporate finance and investor relations, during which time the IR team was consistently ranked as the top large-cap biotech IR team by both sell-side and buy-side analysts. He began his career in finance roles at an entertainment startup, The Walt Disney Company, and AT&T.
Eric earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and Russian from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Gary Whale, PhD
Chief Technology Officer
Gary Whale, PhD
Chief Technology Officer
Gary Whale, PhD, serves as Chief Technology Officer of Zura. He brings more than 25 years of experience in biologics development, technical operations, and manufacturing across the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
Prior to joining Zura, Dr. Whale served as Vice President, Global Head of Technical Operations at EUSA Pharma, a privately held specialty rare disease company focused on the commercial supply of oncology biologics, beginning in May 2020. During his tenure, the company experienced significant growth and profitability and was acquired in 2022 by the Italian specialty care company Recordati S.p.A.
Previously, from January 2018 to April 2020, Dr. Whale served as Chief Operating Officer at VHsquared, a biotechnology company focused on the clinical development of therapies for autoimmune diseases, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. From March 2014 to January 2018, he served as Vice President of CMC and Manufacturing Operations at VHsquared, overseeing global clinical manufacturing programs supporting late-stage development. Earlier in his career, Dr. Whale held technical operations leadership roles at Emergent BioSolutions, Microscience Ltd., and Procter & Gamble.
Dr. Whale earned a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and a master’s degree in Microbiology from the University of London and a PhD in the purification and characterization of bacterial cell surface antigens from Robert Gordon University.
Kim Davis, JD
Chief Operating Officer, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary
Kim Davis, JD
Chief Operating Officer, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary
Kim Davis, JD, serves as Chief Operating Officer, Chief Legal Officer, and Corporate Secretary of Zura. She previously served as Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer from October 2025 through January 2026, providing leadership continuity during a period of executive transition. Ms. Davis brings extensive experience in legal, compliance, and operational leadership across the biopharmaceutical industry.
Prior to joining Zura, Ms. Davis served as Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, and Chief Compliance Officer at Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from 2020 until the company’s acquisition by Pfizer in September 2022. From 2014 to 2020, she was Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer at Kaleo, Inc. Earlier in her career, she served as Vice President and Health Care Law & Compliance Officer at Impax Laboratories, Inc. (now Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC) from 2011 to 2014. Ms. Davis previously held senior legal leadership roles at Amgen, Inc., including serving as Executive Director from 2008 to 2011 and Associate General Counsel from 2000 to 2008.
Ms. Davis earned her Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Sweet Briar College.
Kiran Nistala, MBBS, PhD
Chief Medical Officer and Head of Development
Kiran Nistala, MBBS, PhD
Chief Medical Officer and Head of Development
Kiran Nistala, MBBS, PhD, serves as Chief Medical Officer and Head of Development at Zura. He is an experienced physician and immunologist with nearly two decades of expertise in translational medicine and the strategic design of clinical trials, spanning a diverse spectrum of medical disorders.
Prior to joining Zura, Dr. Nistala served as Vice President of late-stage clinical development in Immunology at AstraZeneca, where he was instrumental in their therapeutic build in autoimmune disease. His primary focus was on Immunology programs aimed at addressing conditions such as lupus, myositis, scleroderma, and eosinophilic disorders.
Prior to his tenure at AstraZeneca, Dr. Nistala held a series of increasingly senior positions at GlaxoSmithKline, where his contributions ranged from pivotal roles in research strategy, immune safety governance boards, the design of clinical protocols, and championing translational medicine initiatives. In addition to his corporate roles, Dr. Nistala served as an Honorary Consultant in Pediatric Rheumatology at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust in the United Kingdom, demonstrating his commitment to both academic and clinical excellence.
Dr. Nistala earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Cambridge, a combined MBBS and PhD in Immunology from University College London, and completed advanced scientific training with a prestigious Clinician Scientist Fellowship from the Wellcome Trust.
Board of Directors
Amit Munshi
Chairman
Amit Munshi
Chairman
Amit D. Munshi is the Chairman of Zura Board of Directors. Most recently, Mr. Munshi was President and Chief Executive Officer of Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc. from May 2016 to March 2022 and a member of the Board of Directors from June 2016 until March 2022, when Arena Pharmaceuticals was sold to Pfizer Inc. Previously, Mr. Munshi served as President and Chief Executive Officer and as a director of 288 Epirus Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on biosimilars, and Percivia LLC, a biotechnology company which was sold to Johnson & Johnson. Subsequent to an asset sale, in July 2016, Epirus filed a voluntary Chapter 7 petition in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts. Prior to Epirus and Percivia, Mr. Munshi was a co-founder and served as Chief Business Officer of Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. from 2005 to 2010, which was sold to Allergan plc, and held multiple leadership positions at Amgen Inc. from 1997 to 2005, including General Manager, Nephrology Europe. He has served as the Chairman of the Board of Enterprise Therapeutics since January 2020.
Simultaneously, Mr. Munshi has also served as a member of the Board of Directors and Audit Committee of Galecto Inc. (GLTO) since January 2020. Mr. Munshi likewise served as a member of the Board and Audit Committee of Pulmatrix Inc. (PULM) from June 2017 until March 2021. Additionally, Mr. Munshi currently serves as a director of two U.S. subsidiaries of Zura: Zura Bio Inc. and Z33 Bio Inc. Mr. Munshi holds a B.S. in Economics and a B.A. in History from the University of California, Riverside, and an M.B.A. from the Peter F. Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University. Mr. Munshi has more than 30 years of global biopharmaceutical industry experience in executive management, business development, product development and portfolio management. Mr. Munshi’s vast executive management and business experience in the global biopharmaceutical industry and in-depth knowledge of product development gives him the qualifications, attributes and skills to serve as one of our directors.
Dan Becker, MD, PhD
Director
Dan Becker, MD, PhD
Director
Dan Becker, MD, PhD, has been a Director at Zura Bio since May 2025. He is a physician-scientist and experienced life sciences investor with more than 15 years of leadership in biotechnology investing and corporate strategy. He currently serves as Managing Director at Access Biotechnology, the biopharmaceutical investment arm of Access Industries, a role he has held since August 2019.
Prior to Access, Dr. Becker was a Principal at New Leaf Venture Partners from 2015 to 2019, and earlier served as a Principal in the Health Care practice at the Boston Consulting Group from 2009 to 2015. He trained in internal medicine and nephrology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital and was a Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Becker currently serves on the boards of Areteia Therapeutics, Hemab ApS, Matchpoint Therapeutics, Khanda Therapeutics, and Perfuse Therapeutics. He previously served on the boards of Acelyrin, Mariana Oncology, Day One Biopharmaceuticals, DTx Pharma, Principia Biopharma, and Pandion Therapeutics.
Dr. Becker holds an MD and PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan and a BS in Physiology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Jennifer Jarrett
Director
Jennifer Jarrett
Director
Jennifer Jarrett, a Director, has served as Chief Operating Officer of Arcus Biosciences, a biotechnology company, since October 2020. From January 2019 through September 2020, she served as Vice President of Corporate Development and Capital Markets of Uber Technologies, a technology company, and from June 2018 to January 2019 served as Arcus Bioscience’s Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer and as its Chief Business Officer and Chief Financial Officer from March 2017 to June 2018. From March 2016 to October 2016, Ms. Jarrett was the Chief Financial Officer of Medivation, a commercial biopharmaceutical company, which was acquired by Pfizer. Before Medivation, Ms. Jarrett spent 20 years in investment banking, most recently at Citigroup where she ran the firm’s west coast life sciences investment banking practice, and prior to that at Credit Suisse and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. Ms. Jarrett currently serves on the board of Arcus Biosciences, Inc. and Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc., each of which is a publicly traded company, and previously served on the boards of Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Audentes Therapeutics, Inc. and Consonance-HFW Acquisition Corp. Ms. Jarrett received a B.A. in Economics from Dartmouth College and her M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Neil Graham, MBBS, MD, MPH
Director
Neil Graham, MBBS, MD, MPH
Director
Neil Graham MBBS, MD, MPH, a Director, is an expert in immunology and inflammation with more than 30 years’ experience in global drug development and commercialization, crossing early and late- stage clinical trials in dermatology, allergy, rheumatology, virology, and pulmonology. From February 2021 to January 2022, Dr. Graham served as Chief Medical Officer of Tiziana Life Sciences LTD, a biotechnology company. Prior to Tiziana, Dr. Graham was VP-Strategic Program Direction & Immunology at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from April 2010 to January 2020. In previous roles, Dr. Graham occupied the position of Chief Operating Officer at XTL Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. from January 2002 to June 2005, SVP- Program & Portfolio Management at Trimeris, Inc. from June 2005 to February 2007, Senior Vice President- Program & Portfolio at Vertex, Inc. from April 2007 to November 2009 and Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health from October 1989 to March 1997. Dr. Graham currently serves on the boards of ASLAN Pharmaceuticals and Pharmaxis Ltd. Dr. Graham holds an MD, MPH, MBBS from the University of Adelaide.
Parvinder Thiara
Director
Parvinder Thiara
Director
Parvinder Thiara has served as a Director of Zura since January 2026. He previously served as a member of the Board from June 2022 to May 2025.
Mr. Thiara founded Athanor Capital in 2017, a New York–based hedge fund manager, and currently serves as its Chief Investment Officer. He also served as a member of the board of directors of Tourmaline Bio, Inc. from September 2022 through the company’s acquisition by Novartis, which closed in October 2025. Previously, Mr. Thiara held various roles at D.E. Shaw & Co., including most recently as a Senior Vice President.
Mr. Thiara earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry from Harvard College and a Master of Science degree in Theoretical Chemistry from the University of Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.
Sandeep Kulkarni, MD
Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Director
Sandeep Kulkarni, MD
Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Director
Sandeep Kulkarni, MD, is a co-founder of Zura and serves as its Chief Executive Officer and Director. He has served on Zura’s Board of Directors since March 2022 and was appointed Chief Executive Officer in January 2026.
Dr. Kulkarni is also the co‑founder of Tourmaline Bio, where he led the company as Chief Executive Officer from September 2021 through its acquisition by Novartis, which closed in October 2025. Prior to co‑founding Tourmaline Bio, he was a Managing Director at KVP Capital from August 2020 to June 2022, focusing on biotechnology investments and company formation.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Kulkarni held multiple roles at Roivant Sciences from July 2018 to June 2020, including Chief Operating Officer of Immunovant, Inc., Vice President of Special Projects, and Ombudsman to the Investment Committee. Prior to Roivant, he was an Investment Analyst on the life sciences team at QVT Financial LP from April 2013 to August 2017. From August 2009 to May 2012, he worked at The Boston Consulting Group, Inc., first as a consultant and later as a project leader advising biopharmaceutical companies on strategic and operational initiatives.
Dr. Kulkarni earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Harvard College and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of California, San Francisco.
Someit Sidhu, MD
Co-Founder and Director
Someit Sidhu, MD
Co-Founder and Director
Someit Sidhu, MD, is a co-founder of Zura and has served as a member of the Zura Board of Directors since March 2023. He previously served as co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Company from March 2023 to April 2024.
Dr. Sidhu is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Akaza Bioscience and Izana Bioscience and a co-founder of Pathios Therapeutics. Since July 2021, he has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of JATT Acquisition Corp.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Sidhu served as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, advising global pharmaceutical companies on R&D and portfolio strategy. He completed his medical training in cardiology and general surgery following graduation from Oxford Medical School.
Steve Schoch
Director
Steve Schoch
Director
Steve Schoch, a Director, served as a member of the Board of Directors of Arena Pharmaceuticals and chaired the Audit Committee from June, 2021 until the company was acquired by Pfizer in March of 2022. Mr. Schoch currently serves as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of FLYR Labs, a position he has held since 2022. Prior to joining FLYR Labs, Mr. Schoch served as Chief Financial Officer at 23andMe, Inc. from 2018 to 2022. Mr. Schoch served as the Chief Executive Officer of Miramax Films NY, LLC from 2012 – 2017, while concurrently serving as Miramax’s Chief Financial Officer, a position he held beginning in 2010. From 2001 to 2010, Mr. Schoch held various senior financial positions at Amgen, Inc., including Corporate Controller and divisional Financial Vice President. He served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of eToys, Inc. from 1999 to 2001. Prior to eToys, Inc., Mr. Schoch held a variety of financial positions in the media industry, including at The Walt Disney Company and the Times Mirror Company. Mr. Schoch holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering degree from Tufts University and a M.B.A. degree from the Tuck School of Business Administration, Dartmouth College.
Scientific Advisory Board
Ajay Nirula, MD, PhD
Ajay Nirula, MD, PhD
Ajay Nirula, MD, PhD, is the Executive Vice President and Head of Research and Development at Recludix Pharma. He was previously a Senior Vice President and the Immunology Therapeutic Area Head for Eli Lilly & Co, which he joined in 2015. He was responsible for the company’s research and early clinical development work in immunology. Before his tenure at Lilly, Dr. Nirula held leadership roles at Amgen and Biogen Idec, contributing to various research programs and regulatory filings across diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, and vasculitis. Dr. Nirula received his undergraduate degree in molecular biology from UC Berkeley, followed by a medical degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Medicine, and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School.
Dinesh Khanna, MD, MSc
Dinesh Khanna, MD, MSc
Dinesh Khanna, MD, MSc, is a Professor of Medicine and serves as the Director of the University of Michigan Scleroderma Program. Guiding a multidisciplinary team of caregivers, scientists, and clinical researchers, Dr. Khanna is dedicated to advancing knowledge about scleroderma and related conditions. His research interests include developing new patient-reported outcome measures in patients with scleroderma and leading clinical trials evaluating new treatments for scleroderma. Dr. Khanna received an M.D. from University College of Medical Sciences and completed a clinical and research rheumatology fellowship and an M.Sc. in Clinical Research from UCLA.
Johann Gudjonsson, MD, PhD
Johann Gudjonsson, MD, PhD
Johann Gudjonsson, MD, PhD, is a Professor of Molecular Skin Immunology and Dermatology at the University of Michigan Dermatology Department and a foremost expert in dermatological science. He leads a National Institutes of Health – funded research group examining the immunological and genetic drivers of inflammatory skin disease, with projects directed at improving the diagnosis and treatment of disorders such as atopic dermatitis, cutaneous lupus, hidradenitis suppurativa, lichen planus, psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis. Since 2008, Dr. Gudjonsson has provided dermatology patient care at the University of Michigan Taubman Center. He is a graduate of the University of Iceland Medical School and completed his internship and dermatology residency training at the University of Michigan.
Michael Weinblatt, MD
Michael Weinblatt, MD
Michael Weinblatt, MD, is the Co-Director of Clinical Rheumatology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. As a recognized authority in rheumatology with 40 years of experience, his clinical interests have been focused on innovations in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment. Dr. Weinblatt leads the Brigham and Women’s clinical trial program in rheumatology and was involved in the development of methotrexate for the treatment of RA. Dr. Weinblatt earned an M.D. from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and has been board certified in rheumatology since 1980.