Krishna Polu is appointed CEO of Commit Biologics. Krishna brings a wealth of operating experience to the team with a track record of pipeline advancement and drug approvals across multiple therapeutics areas. Most recently, he served as a Principal at Red Tree Venture Capital, a life sciences focused venture capital firm, where he was part of the founding team. During that period, Krishna supported a number of the firm’s investments, including serving as a member of the board of directors of Bicara Therapeutics and Sardona Therapeutics and board observer for Magnus Medical. Prior to Red Tree, he served as a clinical development executive at numerous public companies including Equillium (NASDAQ:EQ), Raptor Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:RPTP), CytomX Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CTMX), Affymax (OTCMKTS:AFFY), and Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN).
In addition, Krishna has worked in varying capacities for leading venture capital firms, helping to find and finance companies. Previously, Krishna was an entrepreneur-in-residence at Frazier Healthcare, a leading US based venture capital firm, where he founded the renal immunology search company, Expedition Therapeutics and served as interim CEO of Scout Bio, an animal health gene therapy company, and co-founder of Lassen Therapeutics. More recently he served as a board member at Frazier Lifesciences Acquisition Corporation (NASDAQ:FLACU), a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) organized by Frazier Healthcare, which led a successful business combination with New Amsterdam Pharma (NASDAQ:NAMS). He has also served as an advisor to Catalys Pacific, a venture capital firm focused on new company creation, helping to found two clinical stage companies, Mineralys Therapeutics (NASDAQ: MLYS) and Pathalys Pharma. Krishna currently serves as an Executive in Residence at Bioqube Ventures, an early stage life sciences focused biotech investment fund and continues to serve as a board director at Sardona Therapeutics.
He received his B.A. in human biology from Stanford University and an M.D. from the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio. He completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Colorado followed by a fellowship in nephrology at Harvard Medical School at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital.
This latest addition to Commits leadership team follows the recent appointment of Pascal Merchiers as Chief Development Officer. Pascal consulted Commit following the seed investment from Novo Holdings and Bioqube Ventures before accepting the position as CDO. Pascal brings with him extensive experience within antibody/nanobody development from his time at Ablynx and within I/O biology from Tusk Therapeutics and Oncurious NV.
