Heidelberg Pharma Appoints Dr. Dongzhou Jeffery Liu as New CEO Amid Leadership Restructuring

Heidelberg Pharma AG has undergone significant leadership changes with the appointment of Dr. Dongzhou Jeffery Liu as Chairman of the Executive Management Board and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. The Supervisory Board revoked Professor Andreas Pahl's appointment as CEO and board member, marking a strategic shift for the clinical-stage biotech company specializing in Antibody Drug Conjugates.

Dr. Liu will transition from his current position as a member of the Supervisory Board, with his permanent CEO role becoming effective December 24, 2025. During the interim period 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. Dr. Karl Benedikt Biesinger, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, acknowledged Professor Pahl's contributions in developing Heidelberg Pharma's unique Amanitin-based ADC technology, particularly the lead clinical stage project HDP-101.

The leadership change carries significant implications for Heidelberg Pharma's strategic direction and investor confidence. Dr. Liu brings extensive pharmaceutical industry experience spanning more than 25 years, including his current role as Chief Scientific Officer and President of Huadong Global Development at Huadong Medicine in China. His background includes senior positions at major pharmaceutical companies including GlaxoSmithKline, Wyeth (now Pfizer), and Forest Labs (now Abbvie), with expertise in clinical and preclinical research & development of medicinal products, including ADC products.

Dr. Liu expressed confidence in Heidelberg Pharma's ATAC technology, stating it shows great potential for effective cancer treatment based on latest clinical data with HDP-101. The company's innovative approach represents a breakthrough in oncology treatment, being the first to utilize Amanitin from the green death cap mushroom in cancer therapy. This biological mechanism represents a new therapeutic modality used in the company's proprietary ATAC technology platform.

Heidelberg Pharma's pipeline includes multiple advanced candidates, with lead candidate HDP-101 (pamlectabart tismanitin) in clinical development for multiple myeloma. The candidate has received Orphan Drug Designation and Fast Track Designation from the FDA, accelerating its development pathway. Additional candidates include HDP-102 in clinical development for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, while HDP-103 for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and HDP-104 for gastrointestinal tumors have completed preclinical development. More information about the company's technology and pipeline is available at https://www.heidelberg-pharma.com.

The leadership transition occurs as Heidelberg Pharma positions itself for potential partnerships and continued advancement of its ADC portfolio. The company's focus on targeted cancer treatments using antibody-drug conjugates that combine antibody specificity with toxin efficacy represents an important advancement in oncology therapeutics. This management realignment signals the company's commitment to accelerating development of its novel cancer treatments while maintaining its technological edge in the competitive biopharmaceutical landscape.