CureVac Founder Ingmar Hoerr to Replace CEO Dan Menichella

German biotech CureVac, a developer of messenger RNA-based drugs, said company founder Ingmar Hoerr would take over for CEO Dan Menichella.

Menichella joined the company in 2017 to run its US operations, which are in Boston. He took over the CEO role from Hoerr in 2018.

In its statement announcing the transition, CureVac credited Menichella with advancing the company’s clinical-stage programs, the start of its vaccine program targeting the newly emerged coronavirus, and collaboration deals with Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]), CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CRSP]]), and Genmab (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GMAB]]). But it provided no explanation as why he is leaving and included no comment from Menichella.

Author: Sarah de Crescenzo

Sarah is Xconomy's San Diego-based editor. Prior to joining the team in 2018, she wrote about startups, tech and finance at the San Diego Business Journal. Her decade of full-time news experience includes coverage of subjects including campaign finance, crime and courts as a reporter and editor at outlets throughout California, including the Orange County Register. She earned a bachelor's degree in English Literature at UC San Diego, where she wrote for the student newspaper and played collegiate lacrosse. In 2019, she earned an MBA at UC Irvine.