Y-mAbs Therapeutics is parting ways with its chief commercial officer and putting a new hire in charge of the cancer drug Danyelza. The biotech made the changes, which include “a small adjustment” to the commercial team, as part of a rethink that could put 13% of its employees out of work.
Danyelza, which targets GD2-positive tumors, competes with United Therapeutics’ Unituxin and Apeiron Biologics’ Qarziba. Y-mAbs received FDA approval for its GD2 product in neuroblastoma in 2020. Sales hit $88 million last year. Responsibility for growing that figure in 2025 will fall on Doug Gentilcore, a former ARTMS executive Y-mAbs has appointed as head of the Danyelza business unit.
Gentilcore was chief commercial officer and then CEO of ARTMS, a radioisotope production company Telix acquired last year. Earlier in his career, Gentilcore held positions including vice president of global sales and business operations at Jubilant Radiopharma.
Y-mAbs CEO Michael Rossi said in a statement that Gentilcore’s “extensive experience leading pharmaceutical commercialization and operations on a global scale will be instrumental in our continued commercial expansion and growth to unlocking the full potential value of Danyelza beyond pediatric oncology.”
Sue Smith handled the relaunch of Danyelza in her capacity as chief commercial officer. Smith is set to leave the company in April as part of the realignment of Y-mAbs into two business units, one focused on Danyelza and another focused on radiopharmaceuticals.
The leadership change follows Y-mAbs’ decision to focus its commercial team on potential growth opportunities in the GD2 market. Combined with the relocation of some development roles, the changes to the commercial team could see 13% of the company’s employees leave. Y-mAbs had 100 full-time employees at the end of 2023. The biotech laid off 35% of its employees in May 2023.