Muna Therapeutics Announces CEO Transition as Clinical Pipeline Advances
After leading Muna's evolution into a clinical-stage company, Rita Balice-Gordon, Ph.D., will step down and join the Board of Directors; former iTeos President & CEO Michel Detheux, Ph.D., appointed Chief Executive Officer
Company remains focused on developing new therapies to treat neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and ALS, with lead TREM2 agonist on track to enter Phase 2 studies in early Alzheimer's in early 2027
COPENHAGEN, Denmark and BOSTON, June 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Muna Therapeutics (Muna), a biotechnology company pioneering novel therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases, today announced a CEO transition. Rita Balice-Gordon, Ph.D., Muna's founding CSO and CEO since 2021, will step down and join the Company's Board of Directors. Michel Detheux, Ph.D., a seasoned biotech entrepreneur and former President and CEO of iTeos Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ITOS), has been appointed CEO, effective June 29, 2026.
Under Balice-Gordon's leadership, Muna has evolved into a clinical-stage company with a differentiated discovery platform and dynamic pipeline focused on neurodegenerative diseases. Muna's lead asset, MNA-001, is a best-in-class small-molecule TREM2 agonist that is completing Phase 1 and is on track to begin Phase 2 testing in early Alzheimer's patients in early 2027. As the company continues to progress, Detheux's experience leading biotechs, advancing innovative therapies and forging strategic alliances will help build on this momentum.
"It has been one of the greatest privileges of my career to build Muna and lead such a talented team dedicated to bringing hope to patients living with neurodegenerative disease," said Balice-Gordon. "I am extraordinarily proud of what we have accomplished together: advancing MNA-001 toward Phase 2 clinical development; establishing our innovative MIND-MAP discovery platform grounded in human biology; and building a world-class team. I look forward to continuing to support Muna as a member of the Board and am excited to see the company continue to grow under Michel's leadership."
Detheux brings more than 30 years of biotech leadership experience to this role. As the founder and President & CEO of iTeos, he led the company from a research spin-off to a publicly traded clinical-stage entity, raising more than $1.2B and expanding to 180 employees across the US and Europe. Under his leadership, the company also advanced multiple development programs and established significant strategic partnerships, including a $2B collaboration with GSK.
"Rita and the team have built a platform and pipeline unlike anything else in neurodegeneration," said Michel Detheux, Ph.D., incoming Chief Executive Officer. "Their exceptional work has yielded a compelling clinical asset in the TREM2 agonist program and a major validation of the MiND-MAP platform through the GSK alliance, a partnership model I know well. I am honored to take the helm at this moment and work alongside the team to advance Muna's promising pipeline for people living with neurodegenerative diseases."
"On behalf of the entire Board, I want to express our profound gratitude to Rita for her leadership in shaping Muna into the company it is today," said Donald Nicholson, Ph.D., Chair of Muna's Board of Directors. "Her scientific vision, drive, and deep commitment to patients have been foundational to what we have achieved. We are delighted that she will continue to contribute her unique perspective as a Board member and extremely pleased to welcome Michel, whose business experience and acumen will be instrumental in guiding Muna through future clinical and corporate milestones."
The announcement comes as Muna pushes its small molecule TREM2 agonist program to Phase 2 clinical evaluation and prepares for continued progress across its pipeline of novel neurodegeneration targets. In June, the company published a study in Nature Medicine, in which it leveraged its MiND-MAP platform to identify a critical tipping point in microglial response to amyloid and tau pathology, pinpointing microglial state transitions as key drivers of Alzheimer's.
About Muna Therapeutics
Muna Therapeutics discovers and develops therapies that slow or stop devastating neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. These disorders impact memory, movement, language, behavior and personality, resulting in disability and death of millions of patients around the globe. Muna focuses its groundbreaking science on identifying new medicines to preserve cognition and other brain functions, enhance resilience to disease pathology, and slow or stop the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Its name reflects this focus: Muna means 'to remember' in Old Norse. Muna is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, and has operations in the United States. For more information, visit www.munatherapeutics.com. Follow Muna on LinkedIn.
Media Contact:
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Deerfield Group
lia.dangelico@deerfieldgroup.com
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SOURCE Muna Therapeutics